Shigure's Turn!
by his4evergirl
Summary: This fic also comes from Life After the Curse. This is Shigure and Nightingale's love story. Please Read and Review? Nothing constructive to say, don't say anthing. I do not own Fruits Basket.
1. Chapter 1

Shigure and Nightingale left Hatori and Jin and headed to visit Ayame and Mine next. "Oh you'll love Aya and Mine will want to dress you up." Shigure told his love.

"Really? What's wrong with the way I am dressed?" Nightingale asked.

"Nothing. Aya owns a dress shop and Mine just loves to dress up everyone that comes in the shop." Shigure told her.

"Oh." Nightingale said in relief.

Shigure laughed and kissed the top of her head. "You are so short." He teased.

Nightingale stopped where she was and pulled her hand from Shigure's. She glared playfully at him. "I'm not short, I am fun-sized." She told him, trying hard not to laugh.

"Fun-sized you are my dear." He replied with a smile. Then he pulled her close and softly kissed her lips. "I love you."

"I love you."

They then resumed walking to Aya's shop. Mine greeted them at the door. She was wearing a rather adorable nurse's uniform. "Hello Shigure!" She said brightly. "And who is this lovely lady?" Mine asked eyeing Nightingale.

"This is Nightingale. She is my girlfriend." Shigure answered with a smile.

Mine's face lit up. "Oh I'm so happy for you!" She said and then pulled both of them into a hug.

"Shigure is that your wonderful voice I heard?" Aya said coming in from the back, his voice in its usual dramatic tone.

"Yes, Aya it is I!" Shigure sang to him.

"Ah, yes!" Aya said now standing by Mine at the door. "And who is this lovely creature?"

"This is Nightingale, my girlfriend." Shigure answered, really loving the sound of the word "girlfriend."

Aya gasped dramtically. "Oh no! You have left me!" He cried.

Nightingale looked confused. She turned her head to Shigure, with an eyebrow raised.

Shigure laughed nervously. "It's a little joke." He replied.

"Oh." NIghtingale said.

"I knew that this day would come." Aya said. "Of course I always have Mine."

Mine giggled and her cheeks reddened. "You guys should come in."

"Yes, you should." Aya agreed.

They all entered the shop and went to the back. They sat down and had tea. "So how long have you been here?" Mine asked Nightingale.

"Just a couple weeks." She answered.

"And you two have formed a relationship that quickly?" MIne asked.

Nightingale and Shigure both laughed. "No, we met in college." Nightingale answered.

"Yes, I traveled abroad for college." Shigure replied. "And I'm so glad that I did."

"Oh that's wonderful. So you guys dated in college?" Mine inquired.

"No, we were just best friends." Shigure answered. "She was too intimidated by me then."

Nightingale laughed. "You do flatter yourself too much."

"You know you love me." Shigure said with an impish grin.

"That I do." NIghtingale said and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Even when I was a dog."

"You still are a dog even though the curse is broken."

"She knew about the curse?" Aya asked, his eyes wide with shock.

"Yes, she hugged me one day and found out." Shigure replied.

"I told him it was cool." Nightingale said with a grin.

"Does Akito know?" Aya asked.

"No and he never will...just as he does not know tha Mine knows." Shigure said.

"Okay, I got it." Aya said.

Mine was staring intensely at Nightingale. Suddenly she stood up and grabbed Nightingale by the hand. "I'm sorry if I seem rude, but I was just thinking of the perfect outfit for you." Mine said and then practically drug Nightingale to the dressing rooms in the back.

Shigure smiled. "I'm hoping for a school girl uniform." Shigure said with a devilish grin.

Aya laughed. "Who knows what Mine will put her in. Whatever it is I'm sure she will look lovely."

"She could look lovely in a paper sack." Shigure said and then added, "Or nothing at all."

"Shigure you are such a little devil." Aya told him with a laugh.

Shigure got a dreamy far off look in his eye. "I have missed her so much."

Aya blinked. "She'll be right back..."

"That's not what I meant." Shigure said. "Ever since I met her in college I knew that she was the one I wanted. The day I had to leave her...it felt like I was leaving a piece of myself behind."

Aya smiled. "And now after all of these years you have been reunited."

"All because she took a teaching job." Shigure replied.

"I'm glad that you have found someone who makes you as happy as Mine makes me." Aya told his friend.

"Thank you."

A few moments later Mine came out. "I give you the newly dressed, Nightingale."

Nightingale walked out hesitantly in a beautiful orange sundress, with a yellow ribbon around the waist. Her cheeks were a bright red as she sat back down next to Shigure.

"You look beautiful as always." He said taking her in his arms and placing a kiss on top of her head.

Her cheeks flamed even brighter.

"Yes, you must keep that dress." Aya said.

Nightingale looked up at him. "Oh no. I couldn't do that."

"Consider it my gift to you for making Shigure so happy." Aya said.

Nightingale's whole face was as red as a beat now. "Thank you." She said.

"Think nothing of it." Aya said waving her off.

Before long Nightingale changed back into her regular clothes and Mine wrapped up the sundress for her. Then she and Shigure left and headed back to her apartment. It was Shigure's turn to meet someone.


	2. Chapter 2

Shigure walked beside Nightingale, her hand in his. They were heading to her apartment so he could meet her younger sister. For the first time in a long time, Shigure felt nervous. This was important, very important. He really wanted Mimi to like him. He needed her to like him, because she is important to Nightingale.

They reached the door and Nightingale pulled out her key. She unlocked it and stepped inside. Shigure hesitantly followed behind her. _Hari has it easy. He's already met Jin's family._ Shigure thought to himself as he entered the small apartment. _He met her family even before he met her._

After a few moments a young girl came from the back. She had long wavy brown hair and big blue eyes. _She looks a lot like Tohru._ Shigure thought with a small smile.

"Shigure this is my little sister, Mimi." Nightingale said. "Mimi, this is my boyfriend, Shigure."

Mimi walked up to Shigure with a big smile and extended her right hand.

Shigure took her hand and shook it. "It's very nice to meet you, Mimi." Shigure said smiling.

"I'm glad to finally meet you. Ever since Nightingale went to college and met you, all she's ever been able to talk about is you." Mimi said with a big smile.

Nightingale blushed slightly and then playfully slapped her sister.

Mimi stuck out her tongue at Nightingale and said, "You know you love me."

Nightingale pulled Mimi into a hug and mussed her hair. "So you tell me."

After a few moments, they all sat down and enjoyed a nice visit. Nightingale and Mimi went and prepared a small dinner and the three enjoyed a lovely meal. They talked and laughed. Then Mimi looked up at the clock. "I have to go. I'm meeting Momiji and Haru at the arcade."

"Okay, just remember to be back by ten." Nightingale said to her sister.

"Will do." Mimi said and then left.

Shigure pulled Nightingale into his lap. He gently pushed her hair back from the side of her neck and kissed the sensitive flesh there.

Nightingale giggled and pulled her neck away.

Shigure pouted. "I just wanna kiss your neck."

"But it tickles." She said with a smile.

Shigure flashed Nightingale an evil grin. "Then I'll just have to make you not so ticklish."

Nightingale eyed him suspiciously and then got up from his lap. "I don't know if I like the sound of that."

Shigure stood up and scooped Nightingale into his arms. He carried her over to the couch and laid her down. Then he bent over her and began to tickle her ribs.

"Stop it." She said giggling. She kept grabbing for his hands, but he kept tickling her. After a few moments, Nightingale was able to push Shigure off of her. As she did so, she fell off of the couch. Shigure reached out his arms for her and fell on his back as they landed. Nightingale was right on top of him.

When Nightingale looked at him, Shigure gave her a suggestive smile. "That's one way of getting this to happen."

Nightingale laughed and pushed herself up. "I don't think so." She said.

Shigure jutted out his bottom lip and stood up.

Nightingale reached up a finger and gently pulled his lower lip down. "You are so silly."

"But you love me." Shigure said grinning.

"That I do." She replied and kissed him.

"And you know what?" Shigure asked.

"What?" Nightingale replied with a smile.

"I love you…more."

Nightingale laughed. "In your dreams, Babe."

"I'll prove it." Shigure replied.

"How?"

Without a word, Shigure took Nightingale into his arms and dipped her backwards. He kissed her passionately. He pulled away grinning and helped her to stand up straight. "That's how."

Nightingale sat back down on the couch. She was suddenly feeling dizzy after that kiss. "I guess you win because that was one heck of a kiss." She said.

Shigure sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. The couple snuggled up and watched a movie.

Mimi arrived home on time and Shigure left and headed home. He was smiling the whole way. When he arrived it was very late and the teens were already in bed. Tomorrow was Friday. The weekend was just around the corner.

The next day, Shigure woke up to the smell of a wonderful breakfast cooking on the stove. He allowed his nose to lead him into the kitchen. He found Tohru standing at the stove, stirring some kind of soup.

She turned around. "Good morning Shigure." She said with a big grin.

"Good morning Tohru." Shigure greeted back and then yawned.

"You got home kinda late last night." Kyou said coming into the room.

"I was out with Nightingale." Shigure replied.

"Yeah, I know." Kyou replied and then walked over to stand behind Tohru. He put his hand at the small of her back and kissed her forehead.

Shigure shrugged and headed to the dining room. Soon breakfast was served and devoured quickly. Tohru looked up at Shigure. "Shigure, is it okay if I have tonight and tomorrow off?"

"Of course Tohru. A sleep over at your friend's?" He asked.

Tohru nodded. "Suki is having us girls all over at her house."

"You have fun." Shigure said.

"I'm going to go and stay with Shishou." Kyou said. "I haven't been over there in a while."

"So it will just be you and me then Yuki?" Shigure asked.

Yuki shook his head. "Sadly, I'm going to a school lock in."

"Is that where you stay all night at the school and play games?" Shigure asked.

"Something like that." Yuki replied. "It's for student council members."

"Well, you guys all have fun tonight." Shigure said.

Soon, the group of teens were gone and Shigure was left alone in the house. _I wonder if Mimi will be at this sleep over Suki is having._ He thought and then he called Nightingale's cell phone.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Hello beautiful." Shigure sang.

Nightingale giggled. "What's up?"

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing. Mimi is going to a sleep over at Suki's house." She replied.

"Would you like to go out for dinner and dancing tonight?" He asked.

"I would love to!" She said, excitement evident in her voice.

"Okay, I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Seven is good." She answered. "I have to go. I have classes to teach. I love you."

"I love you, too."

They hung up and Shigure headed to his room. _I'm so glad Tohru keeps everything so clean. Now what should I wear tonight?_ He thought as he stared t his closet.


	3. Chapter 3

After her classes were over, Nightingale headed home. Her prep period was last period, so she left early. She even signed Mimi out early. They went home and Nightingale dove into her closet. Mimi came in and watcher her older sister.

"Hot date tonight?" Mimi asked.

Nightingale turned around. "Yes, Shigure and I are going out."

Mimi grinned. "And all of the teenagers will be gone from both houses."

Nightingale looked confused. "Yes."

"And how long have you and Shigure known each other?"

"A while."

"And you love each other?"

"Yes. Very much."

"And you've been officially dating for a couple of weeks?"

"Yes." Nightingale answered. "Just where are you going with this Mimi?"

Mimi smiled innocently at her sister. "Think about it. You guys have known each other for years and love each other. You have been officially dating for a couple of weeks. You guys are going to be all alone."

Nightingale's eyes widened. "You think our relationship could be going to the next level tonight?"

"That's what I think." Mimi replied.

This night now took on a whole new meaning. "I'll need to bring a few extra things…uhm…" She then started searching through her dresser, "clean underwear…" then she headed for the bathroom, "deodorant…and a toothbrush."

Mimi giggled at the panicked look on her sister's face. "Sometimes I'm really glad that I don't have a boyfriend."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because, I don't have to worry about stuff like this."

"And you won't be worrying about stuff like this until you at least graduate high school." Nightingale said, her big sister instincts kicking in.

"I know." Mimi said.

"Help me figure out what to wear?" Nightingale asked.

"You should wear that sexy little black dress." Mimi answered. "It's perfect for dinner and dancing."

Nightingale pulled out the little black dress her sister was talking about. It went just past her knee and flowed beautifully. It had off the shoulder lace straps. It was somewhat low-cut and was very sexy. "I'm not sure I can do this." Nightingale said.

"Of course you can." Mimi said, reaching into the closet and pulling out silver strappy high heels to go with the dress. "Now, let's go and do your hair and make up."

The sisters went into the bathroom and began working on Nightingale's hair and make up. After that was finished, Mimi left and headed to Suki's house. Nightingale reached into her dresser and pulled out a black lacy strapless bra and matching pair of panties. She put her overnight supplies in her silver bag and then got dressed.

The doorbell rang and Nightingale answered it. Shigure stood on the front step with a dozen purple tulips and a box of chocolates. "For you my love." He said.

Nightingale took the gifts and motioned for him to come in. She put the flowers in a vase and put the candy in the cupboard. She turned around and noticed Shigure staring at her.

"You look incredible tonight." He said and pulled her into his arms. He kissed gently kissed her lips.

Nightingale blushed and looked at Shigure. "You look handsome as always." She said taking in his black slacks, gray dress shirt, and black tie.

"I try." He said and kissed her again. "Are you ready to go?"

She nodded.

They walked outside and Nightingale locked her door. Then they walked to the street, where a limo was waiting for them. "I rented it for the night." Shigure said.

"If I'd have known that you put this much effort into a date, I'd have told you how I felt sooner." Nightingale teased.

Shigure smiled and opened the door for her. She slid inside and then Shigure followed. "I love this dress." He told her and then kissed her cheek.

Nightingale gave Shigure a kiss. "I like the tie." She said running her hand up and down the fabric.

"Really?" Shigure asked. "Why is that?"

Nightingale gave Shigure a devilish grin. "Because I can do this." She said and then grabbed hold of the tie and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Maybe I should wear ties more often." Shigure said when they broke apart.

"Maybe you should." Nightingale replied.

Soon they arrived at their destination and enjoyed a lovely dinner.

"Both my editor and my publisher love your writing. They wouldn't change a thing, as I wouldn't." Shigure told Nightingale.

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"They said, "Why mess with perfection."" He told her.

"That's wonderful." Nightingale replied. "Actually, you are wonderful."

"No my dear, that would be you." Shigure said.

When their dinner was finished, they headed to the dance floor. They danced the Tango. Shigure was romancing Nightingale every step of the way.

"I have forgotten how light on your feet you are." She commented.

Shigure grinned at her. "You are very graceful yourself."

They danced for a couple of hours. The dances ranged from fast to slow. Then they headed back to the limo. "Where would you like to go?" Shigure asked.

"I'm not really sure." Nightingale said.

"We could head back to my place and relax." Shigure suggested.

"Okay." Nightingale replied.

They soon arrived at Shigure's house. They stepped out of the limo and walked up the front porch. Shigure opened the door, suddenly feeling a little nervous. His heart was pounding in his chest. _I haven't brought a woman home before. Heck I've really hardly dated because of the curse!_ He thought to himself.

_This is it. Once we go in there, it's the next step. The next level in our relationship. I wonder has he been with any woman before? He is very handsome and it has been a few years since college._ Nightingale thought as they walked through the door.

They took off their shoes and Nightingale let out a sigh of relief.

"Glad to get out of those shoes?" Shigure asked eyeing the six inch heel on the shoes.

"Yes, I'm surprised that I didn't break my ankle in these shoes." She replied with a laugh.

Shigure laughed. "Your feet hurt?"

"A little." She replied.

Shigure grinned. "Well, say no more, my lady." He said as he scooped her up into his arm and carried her to the living room. He sat down on the couch and held her in his lap.

"Here let me loosen that tie for you." Nightingale said undoing the knot in his tie. "Or completely untie it, I should say."

Shigure laughed and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Nightingale."

"I love you, Shigure."

Their lips met in a passionate kiss. Nightingale found herself unbuttoning Shigure's shirt. Shigure's hands roamed over her body. They broke away, both breathing heavily.

"Would you like to take this to the bedroom?" Shigure asked.

Nightingale hesitated. _Do I really want to do this? Am I ready?_

"And we don't have to do anything you don't want to do r aren't ready for." He said in a reassuring tone. "Of course you can still stay here tonight, if you want."

Nightingale kissed Shigure passionately on the lips and said, "Let's go to the bedroom."

"Are you sure?" He asked, not wanting her to do anything she wasn't ready for.

She nodded and kissed him again.

Shigure stood up and carried Nightingale into the bedroom. He gently laid he down on the bed and kissed her tenderly. They slowly began to remove each other's clothes.

"You are so beautiful." Shigure told her and then kissed her long, slow, and tender.

That night, for the first time, Shigure and Nightingale made love.


	4. Chapter 4

The sun filtered through the curtains and hit Nightingale's face. She shut her eyes tighter to the sun and snuggled closer to the warm solid at her back. _I must still be dreaming._ She thought. She rolled over wanting to snuggle even closer to the warmth. She opened her eyes and saw that Shigure was the source of heat. Suddenly the previous night came flooding back to her. Then she smiled.

She watched Shigure's face. He had a peaceful, happy smile on his face. _I put that smile there._ She thought.

"Nightingale." He mumbled in his sleep.

She grinned now. _He's dreaming about me._ She thought. _And I really did enjoy waking up in his arms._ Her stomach interruputed her thoughts with a small rumble. She rolled back over and grabbed the first pice of clothing she could find. She stood up and put it on. It was Shigure's shirt. _This is one of the times, I'm glad to be fun-sized._ She thought while examining herself in the mirror. The shirt came to her mid thigh and covered her nether regions completely.

Nightingale quietly went to the kitchen and rummaged throught the fridge and the cupboards. She found eggs, bread, and a frying pan. She went to the stove and began making breakfast, hoping to surprise Shigure.

Shigure could feel the sunlight on his face. He opened his eyes and found himself alone in his bed. _Maybe last night was just a dream._ He thought. Then he looked down at himself and noticed that he wasn't wearing any clothes. Then he looked at the floor and found Nightingale's dress and undergarments strewn on the floor along with his pants and tie. His shirt was missing.

Shigure stood up and grabbed a rode from his closet. He put it on and walked downstairs. As he came down the steps he could smell eggs and toast. He could also hear a faint voice singing sweetly. He walked to the kitchen and found Nightingale standing in front of the stove, wearing his shirt from the previous night.

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, taking her by surprise. "A man could get used to this." He said, his breath tickling her cheek.

She giggled. "Get used to what? You already have someone who cooks breakfast for you."

"Ah, but she is not you. And besides I meant seeing you in my shirt. It looks much better on you than it does on me." Shigure replied.

Nightingale put the last of the eggs on the plate. "Now, I'm not sure about that."

"Well, I am. I'm sure enough for the both of us."

Nightingale laughed and went to turn her head to give him a kiss. "Ow." She said.

"What's wrong?"

"My neck is just a little sore and stiff." She answered.

"Sorry." Shigure said as he moved his hands to massage her neck.

Nightingale melted at his touch and thankfully so did her muscles. "You are the best."

"I thought I was the greatest. I mean that is what you said last night after you got passed the initial pain." He teased.

She laughed. "That too. You are magnificent."

"And you are incredible."

"We had better eat before the food gets cold." She said.

"I guess you are right." Shigure said with a sigh.

They went into the dining room and enjoyed the simple yet delicious meal. While NIghtingale was taking the dishes to the kitchen the phone rang. Shigure picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Shigure it's Kyou. I'm letting you know that I won't be back until late tonight. Probably around eleven or so. Same for Tohru."

"So you have a date tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Okay well you kids have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Shigure said, grinning devilishly at Nightingale.

With that the conversation was ended. In just a few more seconds the phone rang again. This time it was Yuki. He and Suki had a date.

Nightingale's cell phone rang. She answered it. "Hello Mimi."

"Hey sis. I'm going to be hanging out with Momiji and Haru today. I won't be home till eleven tonight."

"Okay. You have fun."

"I will. Oh and you too and tell Shigure I said hi."

"Okay."

The conversation was over. Nightingale put her phone down and turned to face Shigure. "Mimi won't be hom until eleven tonight."

"Same for the teenagers here." Shigure replied.

"So we have the whole day together?"

"Yes we do." Shigure replied smiling. "You know what that means?"

"What?" NIghtingale asked grinning already knowing the answer.

Shigure's grin widened. He said nothing and then started walking towards Nightingale.

Nightingale started backing away. Then she turned around and ran towards the bedroom. Shigure chased after her. Once they were in the bedroom Shigure locked the door behind him. Then he scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed. "I love it when you play hard to get, but I will always win." He then kissed along her jaw and down her neck.

Just as he had begun to unbutton the shirt, the doorbell rang. He peeped out through his window and saw that it was Hari standing outside. "Crap." Shigure muttered under his breath.

"Who is it?" Nightingale asked.

"It's Hari. I had better go and see what he wants." Shigure said. "But don't you dare move or even think about getting dress because I'll be right back."

Nightingale grinned at him. "What about if I decide to finish getting undressed?"

"That is perfectly fine with me." Shigure replied and kissed her cheek and then left. He walked to the door and opened it right up. "Hey Hari. What's up?"

"Jin went to spend some time with Tohru before she went out with Kyou and there's nothing else for me to really do so I thought I would come by and visit. That and you are due for your monthly check up." Hatori answered.

"Well can't this wait until tomorrow?" Shigure asked.

"You really should have your check up."

"But this is a bad time."

"What are you talking about?" Hatori asked.

Shigure sighed. "It's a reeeeaaaallllyyyyy _bad_ time." He replied drawing out the "really" and emphasizing "bad." Then he winked and motioned to the stairs.

Suddenly it clicked in Hatori's brain. "Oh I get it. Nightingale is here. I'll leave and come back tomorrow."

"Okay. See you then Hari." Shigure said and then closed the door and ran up the stairs and to his room. He found Nightingale lying in the bed the blanket pulled up over her chest and his shirt on the floor. "You are the best." Shigure said as he removed his robe. He then walked to the bed and climbed under the covers. "Now where were we?" He asked with a smile.

They kissed and then made love until lunch time.


	5. Chapter 5

Nightingale arrived at her apartment just five minutes after her sister. Mimi sat on the couch watching TV and turned her head, when her sister came in the door. "You are wearing the same clothes as yesterday. That means last night must have gone well." Mimi said.

Nightingale blushed and let out a nervous giggle. She walked over and sat down beside her sister. "I did go well." She responded.

"Give me some details Sis." Mimi said, clicking off the television.

"Those are not for you to know." Nightingale replied, giving Mimi the mother hen look.

"Oh come on!" Mimi said exasperated. "I helped you pick out your outfit and helped you do your hair and makeup. I deserve something!"

Nightingale laughed at her sister. "Okay…he was very gentle."

Mimi raised an eyebrow. "Is that all I get?"

"Yes."

"Come on?" Mimi pleaded.

"It was nice." Nightingale replied.

"I'm starting to think you guys didn't do anything." Mimi replied.

"You can think whatever you want to think." Nightingale replied. "Shigure and I know the truth and that's all that matters."

"That means you guys did." Mimi said grinning. "Now you have to tell me."

Nightingale laughed once again. "A lady never kisses and tells"

"A lady also doesn't do what you did last night." Mimi retorted with a rotten grin.

"A lady can." Nightingale replied. "As long as she doesn't give every detail to her little sister."

Mimi laughed. "I guess I'll have to wait till I have someone to know what it's like."

"You'll have to wait till you're sixty and allowed to date." Nightingale teased.

Mimi giggled. "You crack me up."

Shigure laid back on his bed. It was late and he was trying to sleep, but he couldn't. _This bed is so empty without Nightingale. _He thought as he stared up at the ceiling. He rolled over and picked up the shirt of his, she had worm. _It still smells like her._ He thought as he inhaled the scent of her.

He put the shirt down on his bed and stood up. He went downstairs and into his study. He sat down in front of his computer. He got online and began searching. Finally, he found what he was looking for. "Perfect." He said to himself, ginning wildly.

A soft knock was heard on the door. Shigure quickly minimized the window and said, "Come in."

Tohru walked in the room.

"Oh, hello Tohru. Did you have a nice time with your friends and Kyou?" Shigure greeted.

"Yes, it was fun." She replied.

"Were you needing something?" He asked.

"I was just wondering, if you could help me with my Poetry class?"

"Sure." Shigure replied with a smile. "Have a seat and I'll help you."

Tohru walked over and sat down in front of him.

"So what are you needing help in?"

"Understanding this poem." She replied.

"Here let me have a look." He said extending his hand. She handed him the paper and he took it. He looked it over. "Emily Dickinson, a wonderful poet." Shigure said, remembering reading this poem in college. "I'll read it aloud and we'll go over it line by line and you can tell me what you think it means."

"Okay." Tohru said.

Shigure then began to read the poem,

_Hope is the thing with feathers  
>That perches in the soul,<br>And sings the tune-without the words,  
>And never stops at all,<em>

_And sweetest in the gale is heard;  
>And sore must be the storm<br>That could abash the little bird  
>That kept so many warm.<em>

_I've heard it in the chillest land,  
>And on the strangest sea;<br>Yet, never, in extremity,  
>It asked a crumb of me<em>

"Okay, now the first line, _Hope is the thing with feathers,_ what do you think that means?" Shigure asked/

"Well, the feathers makes me think of a bird. And hope makes me think of something to hold onto when everything else seems to be going wrong." She answered.

"Very good, Tohru. Now, the next line…" Shigure said and read the next line.

They went on like this for the next hour. _She's underestimating herself._ He thought. _Although, I know what a wonderful teacher Nightingale is._ Shigure was suddenly pulled back to memories of his college days with Nightingale.

_Flashback_

_ Shigure sat in the floor of Nightingale's dorm room. Since she was an education major, she didn't have a roommate. _

_ "How do you understand all of these poems and get A's on all of the tests?" He asked looking up at Nightingale in her tank top and short shorts, her long red locks pulled back in a sloppy bun._

_ "I don't know. It just comes to me." She replied with a grin. "Besides as long as you give some interpretation Professor Jean doesn't care."_

_ "I know because everybody interprets poetry differently." Shigure said, slightly frustrated that he couldn't understand the poem._

_ "I bet you know more than you give yourself credit for." She said, taking a seat on the bed behind him. She put her arm over his shoulder and pointer to the second line of the poem, being careful to support herself so that she wouldn't fall on him and turn him into a dog. "Now what does this line make you think of?"_

_ "A bird." Shigure answered._

_ "And what do birds usually symbolize?"_

_ "Freedom."_

_ "Good, and what does freedom mean to you, Shigure Sohma?" She asked her face just inches from his, her green eyes boring into the very depths of his soul._

_ "Being able to hug the woman I love without turning into a dog." He answered, his eyes darting towards the floor. His thoughts were trained on his arms wrapping around Nightingale and holding her close, him staying human._

_ Nightingale's eyes turned sad. She felt for him and wanted to reach out to him in some way. She also wished that she were the woman he loved, but she knew otherwise. Without realizing what she was doing, she gently pressed her lips to his forehead in an effort to comfort him. She pulled back and looked at him. "I know that there's a woman out there who loves you despite the fact that you are a dog." She said and then hastily added, "Besides all men are dogs."_

_ Shigure laughed. "What would I do without you?" Shigure said with a grin._

_ "You would fail your classes and be utterly miserable without me, to cheer you up." Nightingale said and then poked his nose with her pointer finger._

_ Shigure grabbed her finger and held her hand. They stared at each other for a moment. They slowly moved closer and then they both backed away. "Well, it's getting late. I should be going back to my dorm." Shigure said, standing up quickly._

_ "Yeah, we have that really big test in the morning." Nightingale said._

_ "Yeah, so same time tomorrow to bounce ideas off of each other for our short stories?" He asked._

_ "As always." Nightingale replied grinning._

_ With that they parted and he headed back to his dorm. He internally slapped himself, once he reached his dorm. "Why didn't I just kiss her? Or tell her how I feel?" He scolded himself as he headed to bed._

_Back to the present…_

"Uhm, Shigure?" Tohru asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry Tohru. I was just remembering something." Shigure said with a smile.

"Oh, I was just saying thank you for your help."

"You're welcome. You know I learned most everything I know from Nightingale."

"She is a great teacher." Tohru said with a smile.

"Yes she is. She helped me out quite a bit in college." Shigure replied.

Tohru smiled at him. "I'm glad you two are together. You seem to be a lot happier."

"Thank you Tohru." He said. Then he got an idea. "Now, can I have your help with something?"

"Of course, what is it?" She asked, eager to help him.

He motioned for her to come around and look at the screen. He pulled up the window. "I wanted to get this for Nightingale. Do you think that she'll like it?"

Tohru's face lit up as she looked at the screen. "It's beautiful. I think she'll love it." Tohru gushed.

"Now, you can't tell anyone about this."He told her.

"I won't. It's a surprise and I wouldn't want to ruin it for her. That just wouldn't be right." Tohru said.

Shigure smiled. "Now you should probably be going to bed."

"Yeah, well goodnight." Tohru said and then left the room.

Shigure placed his order and then closed the computer down. He headed up to his room and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, he still felt alone in his bed. He decided to think of Nightingale and picture the look on her face when she sees what he just bought for her. He then imagined her snuggling up to him and falling asleep in his arms. After all of that, he was finally able to sleep. Nightingale starred in his dreams and a smile was on his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Nightingale sat in her classroom grading papers. She had finished grading the prose papers and was now working on the poetry papers. She had the class analyze and interpret Emily Dickinson's poem "Hope." She smiled as she read Tohru's interpretation.

"She's always so hesitant to answer in class, but here she shows how much she truely knows. She's a very bright young girl." Nightingale said to herself. "I wonder if any of them went to Shigure for help."

Nightingale remembered the late nights she and Shigure used to spend in her dorm. She always helped him. He always said that he didn't understand the poetry, but he did quote well in the class. She also remembered setting in her dorm, bouncing ideas back and forth with him. They would work on stories and poems and always had so much fun together.

_Flashback..._

_It was a late night. Nightingale was standing in her dorm room, she had just gotten out of the shower. Her wet hair hung losely down her back and over her shoulders. A knock sounded on her door, "Decent or not, here I come." Shigure said, his usual greeting before coming in the room. "Am I ever gonna catch you naked?" He asked._

_ Nightingale laughed. "In your dreams." She replied._

_ Shigure pouted playfully. "Just once?"_

_ She shook her head and smiled. "Do you have your notebook?"_

_ "I always do." Shigure replied with a smile. "Do you have that big beautiful brain of yours filled with ideas?"_

_ "I have ideas, but I'm not sure how big or beautiful my brain is." She replied._

_ Shigure laughed. "Well, we had better get to work."_

_ Nightingale's hand was suddenly on Shigure's forehead. "Are you feeling okay?" She asked teasingly._

_ "I feel fine...as long as you're here I'll be fine." He replied dramatically._

_ Nightingale laughed and playfully smacked his cheek._

_ "Ow." Shigure said playing of course._

_ "Oh here." NIghtingale said and kissed his cheek. "I'll make it all better." She spoke using a patronizing tone and then pinched his cheek. "I'll take care of you."_

_ Shigure took her hand and then pinched her cheek. "Now, let's get to work."_

_ They then spent the night talking and sharing ideas. They were able to write their stories and get them finished. After a few hours, they fell asleep. They were snuggled up together and Shigure, unfortunately, turned into a dog._

_ Nightingale woke up in the morning to Shigure licking her face. "That's just gross." She said pushing him away and getting up. _

_ "But I'm a dog." Shigure replied._

_ Nightingale couldn't help but laugh. "You are impossible to be mad at you know?"_

_ "I try." Shigure replied. Then a poof and a puff of smoke and Shigure stood proudly in his birthday suit._

_ Nightingale blushed and turned around to let Shigure get dressed. _

_ "I'll see you in class." He said and then walked out the door._

_ "Why can't I ever tell him?" Nightingale sighed to herself. "Why can't I ever tell him how I feel? I'm so stupid."_

_Present day..._

A knock sounded on her door, breaking Nightingale from her reverie. "Decent or not, here I come." sang the familiar voice.

Nightingale turned around and smiled as Shigure entered the room. She let out a laugh.

"Why are you laughing my love?" He asked as he walked over to her desk.

"I was just remembering our late nights in college and how you used to say that before you'd come in my dorm." She replied, grinning.

Shigure smiled. "You know, I was remembering sopme of our late nights myself. I remember coming to you for help in poetry."

"You know something, Shigure?"

"Yes, my love."

"I was just thinking back to that and you did well in the class. And you did just fine when we went over the poems." Nightingale said, a sly look on her face.

"Is there a point to this?" Shigure asked, a smile lighting his face.

"Yes, I think you pretended you didn't know what you were doing to spend all that time alone with me." She said.

"No." Shigure said. "I was just trying to see you naked."

Nightingale laughed. "And you just happened to fall in love with me when trying to see me naked?"

"That's exactly it." He replied, grinning like a madman.

Nightingale finished grading Tohru's paper and put the papers in her drawer. "So where are we going today?"

"I thought we could have a picnic?" Shigure suggested.

"That sounds lovely to me." Nightingale said standing up and taking Shigure's hand.

They headed to the park and Shigure spread a blanket out. They sat down and enjoyed a wonderful meal. They talked and laughed and kissed...a lot.

"So, spring break is coming up soon." Shigure said.

"Yes, do you have something in mind?" Nightingale asked.

"I was thinking that maybe, we could take a trip together. Just the two of us?" Shigure asked.

"But what about Mimi?" NIghtingale asked, wanting to make sure her sister was taken care of.

"She could stay with Tohru, Kyou, and Yuki. They're very well behaved kids. Or of you'd like I could see sbout her staying at the Sohma estate." Shigure answered. "Maybe with Hatori and Jin?"

Nightingale smiled. "I'll have to see what Mimi thinks of it."

"Or she could stay with Aya and Mine. Your father does want her to have a feminine influence, you can't get any more feminine than those two and staying in a dress shop." Shigure said with a laugh.

"You have a point, but I'm not sure that I like the idea of her being there." Nightingale said with a laugh. "Anyway, where would you and I be going?"

"We could take a trip to the hot springs?" Shigure asked.

Nightingale's face lit up. "I would love to go. I've always wanted to go to a hot spring."

"Okay then. Once you talk things over with Mimi, let me know and I'll make the arrangements." Shigure told her.

"You know what I think?"

"What?"

"You just want to see me naked again."

Shigure grinned devilishly. "Of course. And I just want to spend some time alone with you. Be sides like you don't enjoy seeing me naked."

Nightingale blushed.

Shigure laughed and pulled her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She said and kissed his cheek.


	7. Chapter 7

Nightingale arrived home and was greeted by the smell of brownies baking in the oven. Mimi appeared from the kitchen. "How was your date with Shigure?" Mimi asked.

"Wonderful." Nightingale answered. "Are you wanting to butter me up for something?"

"No, why would you aske that?" Mimi asked, her face pure innocence.

"Because you are baking brownies and from what I can tell you are trying your hand at my famous To-Die-For Brownies." Nightingale answered her sister.

"Maybe I just want to be like my big sister." Mimi answered.

"What do you want?"

Mimi sighed. "Momiji, Haru, their cousins Kisa and Kagura, and another Sohma named Hiro, are going on a trip on spring break and they want me to come with them."

"How long will you be gone?" Nightingale asked.

"From that Monday to Sunday."

"And where are you going?"

"We are going to an amusement park. Momiji said it was similar to Disney Land."

"Is there an adult going?"

"Momiji said that his nanny would be going."

Nightingale thought for a couple of moments, "Okay, you can go."

"I guess that means you and Shigure will be spending that time together? Perhaps you'll be spending all of that time at his house?" Mimi said.

Nightingale grinned at her sister. "Actually we will be taking our own trip."

"You two were already planning a trip, weren't you?" Mimi asked, already knowing the truth.

"Yes." Nightingale replied.

"You are such a naughty girl Sis." Mimi teased.

Nightingale glared playfully at her sister. Then she ruffled her hair. "I guess I should call Shigure."

"You do that." Mimi teased. "And I'll call Momiji and let him know you said that I could come."

Nightingale pulled out her cell and headed to her room. She hit the number one and then the send button -Shigure was on her speed dial- and waited for an answer.

"Hello?" came the sweet voice of Tohru over the phone.

"Hello Tohru, Is Shigure there? It's Nightingale."

"Yeah, I'll get him for you. It'll be just a second."

A few moments later Shigure's voice was coming through the phone. "Nightingale, my love."

Nightingale smiled. "Hello Handsome."

"I'm guessing you have talked with your sister?"

"Yes, and she wanted to go on a trip with some of your cousins. After quizzing her the way a big sister should, I told her she could go."

"Wonderful. So I should call and make the arrangements for when?"

"From that Monday to the following Sunday."

"Wonderful." Shigure said and then laughed slightly. "I can't wait to get you all alone."

Nightingale giggled. "You are quite aweful my dear."

"But you love me."

"Truely I do."

Shigure smiled into the phone.

"And?" Nightingale asked.

"And what?" Shigure grinned. "I can tell that you are playfully glaring at me."

"Hmph." She said playfully.

"I love you, too." Shigure said.

"That's better."

They both laughed and they talked for a few more moments. Then they got off the phone. Nightingale finished pulling together her lesson plans for the week and then got ready and went to bed.

After he got off of the phone, Shigure began pulling together plans for his and Nightingale's vacation. It was going to be a very romantic trip and it was going to be a trip that Nightingale would remember for the rest of her life. Shigure wanted to make sure it was extra special. He called the hot springs and booked the entire place for himself and Nightingale. He spent the rest of the night working on his plans, until he finally fell asleep, visions of Nightingale and their vacation filling his head.


	8. Chapter 8

Shigure stood and made a mark on his calender. It was still a few weeks until spring break, when he and ightingale would go on their trip. He couldn't wait to go on that trip with her. He couldn't wait to give her the present he'd bought for her. He looked up at the clock and saw that it was almost time for school to be over. He finished getting ready and walked to the high school.

Nightingale sat at her desk. She had so many papers to grade. Her cell phone suddenly started going off. She picked it up and looked at the screen. Her cousin, Raven, was calling. "Hey Raven. What's up?"

"I have some amazing news that I want to share with you." Raven's voice said from the other end.

"Well, what is it?" Nightingale asked.

"I'm getting married!" Raven screamed into the phone.

Nightingale pulled the phone away from her ear with a sudden jerk. She waited for Raven to quit screaming and then she screamed back into the phone. "Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you!"

After a few seconds Raven responded, "Okay, so I wanted to call you for more than just telling you."

"Okay."

"Would you be my maid of honor?"

"I would be happy to." Nightingale said. "So when's the big day?"

"It's a winter wedding, December eighteenth."

"I'll be there."

"I knew I could count on you."

Just then Shigure came in the room. He noticed Nightingale on her phone and stood silently beside her desk.

"I need to get off of here Raven. I'll call you later."

"Okay. Love you coz."

"Love you too, coz." With that Nightingale hung up the phone. She got up and hugged Shigure. "I'm so glad to see you."

"I'm glad to see you, too." Shigure said, smiling. He kissed the top of her head and held her. "So who was that?"

"My cousin, Raven. She's getting married in December and wants me to be her maid of honor." Nightingale replied.

"That's wonderful." Shigure said.

"Yes, but the main duty of the maid of honor is trying to keep the bride from being a bridezilla." Nightingale said with a laugh. "So what are we doing tonight?"

"We are going to a little celebratory dinner tonight. It will be us, Hatori and Jin, Aya and Mine, Tohru and Kyou, Yuki and Suki, and if you'd like we can bring Mimi."

"Alright. What are we celebrating?"

"Jin got her sight back."

"That's wonderful."

"Well most of it back. I think Tohru said she was half blinde in one eye."

"Still, it's wonderful."

"Yes it is. Are you ready to go?" Shigure asked.

"Yup."

They headed out and stopped by the apartment and picked up Mimi. They walked to the restaurant and met the rest of the group there. Nightingale walked over to Jin and hugged her. "I'm glad to hear the good news."

"Thank you and you know something?" Jin said.

"What?" Nightingale asked.

"You are just as pretty as I pictured."

The two shared a laugh. "Thank you."

Everyone took their seats and enjoyed the nice meal. They all talked and laughed and smiled. Shigure looked over at Jin and Hari, "So which eye is it that is weaker?" He asked.

"It's my right eye." Jin replied.

Shigure let out a small laugh. "Between you and Hari, you could have a good set of eyes."

Everyone at the table let out a small laugh. "I guess you're right." Jin said with a smile. She looked at Hatori then and they shared a secret smile.

"So Yuki, when are you going to bring Suki by my shop? Mine and I would love to dress her up." Aya said to his brother.

"If I can help it, never." Yuki answered.

"Have you ever thought that I might like to go?" Suki asked Yuki.

Yuki looked at Suki in shock. He couldn't speak.

"It's settled then." Aya said before anyone could object. "You'll come over Sunday."

"That sounds great." Suki said, not allowing Yuki to object.

Shigure sat back, watching with a smile. He had his arm around Nightingale's shoulders.

Mine turned to Nightingale. "And you two will have to come by again sometime." She told them. "We have this outfit that would be perfect for you Nightingale."

Nightingale blushed. "Okay."

"You can come by on Saturday." Aya said, leaving no room for any objections.

Shigure laughed and kissed Nightingale's cheek. "You look beautiful in anything and everything." He told her. Then he leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, "And especially in nothing at all."

Nightingale blushed and let out a nervous giggle, hoping no one heard that.

Mine then turned to Hari and Jin. "And we have a dress that would be perfect for you Jin. You must come by."

"That sounds like fun." Jin replied.

Hatori sighed. He really didn't want to go to Aya's shop, but if it made Jin happy he would deal with it.

"You should come b y Saturday as well. The Mabudachi Trio together!" Aya said, thrilled.

"And our lovely ladies." Shigure added with a grin.

Just then Nightingale's phone rang. She took it out and looked at the screen. It was Raven again. "Excuse me." She said getting up and walking to a secluded corner of the restaurant. "Hello, Raven."

"Nightingale, it's so terrible." came Raven's tear-strangled voice.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I can't find a dress, anywhere!"

"What?"

"I can't find a wedding dress!"

"You have to be kidding."

"Well, I can find them, but I can't find any that are what I like."

Just then an idea struck Nightingale. "How about a custom gown?"

"Those are so expensive."

"I might be able to get you one for cheap. Just hang on a second. And please stop crying." Nightingale said.

"Okay." Raven responded.

Nightingale put the phone against her shoulder. she walked back over to the table. Shigure looked up at her. "Your cousin again?"

"Yes, and she's upset." Nightingale replied. She then turned her head to Aya. "Ayame?"

"Yes, beautiful lady?" Aya said dramatically.

"My cousin Raven is getting married in December and she can't find a dress that she likes. If I get her measurements and help you, could you create a custom dress for her?"

Aya's face lit up. "I would love to!"

"Thank you. I'll be right back." She walked away once again, not wanting to bother anyone at the table. "Okay, I have someone here that can make you a custom dress. Just send me a text later with your measurements and I'll help him."

"Okay, I'm glad you know what I like."

"Okay. I have a dinner to get back to. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, you are the best coz."

"I know." Nightingale said with a smile. Then she hung up the phone and went back to the table. Once she was at her seat, she let out a small sigh.

"Something wrong Miss Green?" Tohru asked.

"Nothing, just don't ever be a maid of honor if you can help it." Nightingale replied. "And when we aren't in school you can call me Nightingale."

"No we can't." Kyou said.

"It goes aginst everything we've been taught to do." Suki interjected.

Nightingale laughed.

After a while the group had to leave and all go their separate ways for the evening. Shigure walked Nightingale and Mimi to their apartment. Mimi went straight inside, while Nightingale stayed outside on the front step to say good night to Shigure.

"I'll see you after school tomorrow?" Shigure asked, his hand resting at the side of Nightingale's neck.

Nightingale smiled. "Yup."

Shigure bent down and kissed tenderly pressed his lips against hers. "I love you, Nightingale."

"I love you, Shigure." She stretched up and kissed him again. Then she went inside and Shigure started his walk home.


	9. Chapter 9

Nightingale awoke early in the morning. It was Saturday and that meant a visit to Ayame's shop. She hadn't yet decided if she was excited about the visit or not. After lying in bed for a few moments, she decided to get up and get ready for the day.

She walked into the kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge. She found a small of bowl of mised fruit, some yogurt, and granola. She shut the fridge door, where she found a note from Mimi saying that she would be out for the day. Nightingale tossed the note in the trash and then mixed the food together. she walked into the livingroom, turned on the TV, and sat down to enjoy her breakfast.

Almost as soon as she had finished easting there was a knock on the door. She got up and looked throught the peep hole. Then she opened the door.

Shigure stood on the step, waiting for Nightingale to answer the door. When the door finally came open, Shigure's mouth fell open. There Nightingale stood in a thin, lavender, silk nightie that just barely covered the essentials. Her long firey locks were a tangled mess, but Shigure couldn't have imagined a more lovely sight.

She giggled. "Are you going to come inside or are you going to stand there and admire me all day? If you choose the latter I'll need to get you a cup for the druel."

Shigure sobered slightly, but a playful smile lit up his face. "What do you expect my love? I was the dog after all."

Nightingale grinned and backed up to allow him in. Once the door was closed she strecthed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I guess I shouldn't expect much. Since it's such a distraction for you, I had better go and change." She said and turned to walk away.

"No need to be so hasty my dear." Shigure said grabbing her arm and pulled her close.

She looked up at him, a smile in her eyes. "But what about Aya's shop and the Mabudachi Trio stuff?"

"Oh yeah, that." Shigure said his face falling slightly. "That nightie made me forget all about it." He said the last part with a grin.

She reached up and kissed the tip of his nose. "Maybe I'll bring it with me on our trip." She said with a playful grin.

"You had better not be teasing me." He told her, his eyes playful and gentle. "I really like this nightie."

"I'll go and get changed now." Nightingale said and kissed his cheek. Then she headed back to her room.

Shigure took a seat on the couch and sighed. After a few moments, Nightingale renetered the room. She was now wearing a blue-jean mini skirt and a purple tank top under a white lace blouse. "That really isn't much better than the nightie." He teased.

Nightingale laughed. "Oh well."

"I guess I'm just in for a rough day of trying to keep my hands off you." He said, standing up/ He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "I mean first the nightie, now this outfit, and who knows what Aya and Mine have waiting for you at the shop."

"Are you ready for the day of torture?" She asked him, a wicked grin on her face.

"I think you are enjoying this...maybe a little too much even." He said, glaring at her playfully. "I guess I'm ready."

They walked over to Aya's shop, Shigure keeping his arm around Nightingale's waist the entire time. They arrived at the shop the same time as Hari and Jin. They opened the door and stpped inside. Mine walked in from the back, hearing the bells. "I'm so glad that you were all able to make it!" She greeted them and then ran up and pulled Nightingale and Jin in for a hug.

"Mine, are they here?" came Aya's voice from the back. Then he entered the room. "Ah, there you are. Hari! Gure! I'm so glad you two could make it. And of course, I can't forget the beautiful flowers that stole your hearts!" Aya then walked over and took Jin's hand. He kissed the air above it three times and then did the same to Nightingale. Then he pulled Shigure and Hatori in for a group hug.

The group shared a laugh, except for poor Hatori, who looked frightened. They walked to the back room and sat down. Mine had snacks tea and snacks ready for them. Aya and Mine took a seat on one couch while Hari and Jin took a seat on another couch. Shigure sat in a chair and pulled NIghtingale in his lap, not yet ready to let go.

"A little anxious aren't you Shigure?" Aya teased. "If you two need a moment alone, there's a room that you can use back there."

Nightingale blushed furiously and Shigure just laughed and kissed her cheek. "I think we'll be fine." Shigure told him.

'Well if you change your mind..." Aya said trailing off suggectively. Then he turned his attention to Hatori and Jin. "So Jin, how is life with our Hari?"

"It's wonderful." She replied. "Even more wonderful now that I can actually see what I'm doing in the house instead of just having to feel my way."

"I'll bet it's nice to see what you are doing, but feeling your way doesn't sound too bad." Aya replied with a suggestive grin.

Jin laughed and Hatori glared at Ayame. "Why have I out up with you all of these year?" He asked rhetorically.

"Because you love me." Aya answered dramatically.

"No, that's definately not it." Hatori said dryly.

Aya pouted playfully. "You're no fun Hari."

After they had finished the tea and snacks, Mine began to eye Nightingale and Jin. "You know both want to try on those outfits mentioned at dinner the other night." She said, her face lighting up.

Jin looked slightly panicked.

"Don't worry. She attacked me last time." Nightingale said in a reassuring tone. "It's not that bad."

Mine grabbed both of their hands and drug them off. Jin had that deer-caught-in-the-headlights soon as they were in the changing area, Mine let them go. "Why don't we let them have some guy time and we can have some girl time?"

Shigure sat in his chair, looking like the little boy that had just lost his favorite toy.

"So, Gure, do you have any plans for the spring break?' Aya asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?"

Aya pouted. "Well, I was thinking the Mabudachi Trio and our beautiful princesses coiuld take a trip to the hot spring together." He responded.

Shigure let out a nervous laugh. "I'm actually taking Nightingale to the hot spring."

"We could all go then!" Aya said. "I can call and make the arrangements!"

Shigure let out another nervouse chuckle. "Uh...that won't work."

"Well why not?" Aya asked, his face falling.

"I've already booked up the entire hot spring for Nightingale and me."

"Well, the rest of us could still go. You would have to say it was okay and we could all have separate rooms." Aya suggested.

Shigure let ouyt a sigh. "I don't want to do that."

Ayame blinked. "What's going on Shigure?"

"This trip has to be perfect and romantic." Shigure answered.

Aya smiled. "I see this is going to be the _big trip_. You two are going to be alone together for the first time. I get it. You devil you."

"That's not actually it." SHigure replied with a grin.

"Well then what is it?"

Shigure turned around and looked to make sure that the girls weren't coming back yet. Then he motioned for Hatori and Ayame to come closer. "Before I tell you you have to swear to secrecy."

"I swear." Ayame replied, his face serious.

Shigure turned to Hatori. "Well Tori?"

Hatori just rolled his eyes at him. "I'm the one you have to worry about...right...fine...I swear."

Then Shigure reached into his pocket and...

Mine, Nightingale, and Jin sat in a room filled with fabric, dresses, and manequins. They were talking and sharing stories and smiles and laughter. Then Mine decided that it was time to get them in those outfits. She pulled them off of the shelves and handed them to the other two.

She helped them with zippers and buttons. She even pulled out a few hair accessories. "You both look just as wonderful as I thought you would." She said. They Mine walked out of the room. "Are you guys ready?" She asked.

Shigure grinned. "Very ready."

"Alright I present to you the new and improved Nightingale Green and Jin Honda."

Nightingale and Jin walked out from behind the curtain hesitantly. Jin looked beautiful in a pastel green nurse's uniform and white tights.

Of course shigure's attention was instantly drawn to Nightingale. She looked stunning in green plaid skirt that came mid-thigh, a white shirt button-up shirt, and black jasket. She had black knee-high socks and black shoes on. Her hair was pulled back in a cute little bun. "We are taking this school girl uniform with us when we leave." He declared.

Nightingale blushed.

"I bet you are changing your mind about that room now, Shigure!" Aya laughed.

Nightingale's blush deepned.

Shigure got up from his chair and pulled her in his arms and planted a passionate kiss on her lips, completely forgetting everyone else in the room, but her.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mine you do wonderful work!" Aya said, watching his two cousins and best friends make out with the women they love.

"Romance does seem to be in the air." Mine said.

Just then Shigure and Nightingale broke apart, suddenly remembering where they were. Hari and Jin did the same thing. Jin and Nightingale's faces were red. Hari looked perfectly composed as usual. Shigure just grinned like the little kid caught doing something naughty, but didn't care.

"So you guys like the outfits?" Mine asked.

"Yes, of course Jin looks lovely all the time." Hatori said and kissed her cheek.

"Yes, I was hoping for a school girl uniform the last time." Shigure said. "I can think of many many uses for this."

Nightingale's face turned a bright crimson. She burried her face in the side of Shigure's neck.

Shigure laughed and hugged her closer.

Suddenly Nightingale's cell phone began ringing. She walked over to her purse and picked it up. It was Raven again. She walked to the back room, not wanting to disturb anyone and answered the call. "Hey, Raven, what's up?"

"I was just wondering if you had talked to that guy about my wedding dress yet?"

"No, not yet, but I'm at the shop now."

"Okay, oh and my ring finally got resized!"

"That's wonderful!" Nightingale squealed. "Send me a picture already."

"Already did. You should be getting it ...now."

Just then a beep sounded and Nightingale had a picture message.

"I'll let you go so you can look at it. Send me a message and tell me what you think."

"Okay, will do." With that the conversation was ended. Nightingale got into her messages and opened up the picture message. A white gold band with a princess cut two carrot diamond in the center was on Raven's finger. Nightingale felt a twinge of jealousy as she stared at the picture. _Maybe someday._ She thought wistfully and then walked back out.

"Raven again?" Shigure asked as Nightingale walked over to set in his lap.

"Yes." She replied with a sigh. "She wanted to remind me about her dress."

"Oh, yes that's right." Aya said enthusiastically. "Do you have her measurements?"

"Yup." Nightingale said and closed the picture message and pulled up the text with Raven's measurements. She handed the phone to Aya so he could write them down.

"And I thought you were tiny." Aya commented. "Is she just as short as you?"

"Actually she's slightly taller...okay a lot taller." Nightingale said. "And I'm not short, I'm fun-sized."

The group shared a laugh. Then Nightingale got to work helping Aya figure out what style to make the dress. "That high of a neck line? Are you sure?" Aya asked.

"Yes, she's very conservative." Nightingale replied. "Well, uptight is more like it."

Shigure laughed. "It sounds like you two don't get along very well."

"We are just complete opposites is all." Nightingale said.

"Even physically from what these measurements tell me. She has no figure at all." Aya commented.

Shigure nuzzled Nightingale's neck. "And you have a wonderful figure." He said, his words tickling her neck.

She giggled.

"Will you two please keep it PG over there?" Hatori asked.

"Hey earlier you and Jin weren't so PG." Shigure remarked.

Hatori glared at Shigure and Jin just laughed.

"Seriously though, what is it with you and Raven?" Shigure asked.

"We've always just had a competative relationship." Nightingale answered with a grin. "When we were little we were always trying to outdo each other. Who had the better barbie dolls, who was prettier, who was smarter. That kind of thing."

"In my opinion you win." Shigure said and kissed her cheek.

Nightingale giggled. "Well I think you're just slightly prejudiced."

"Perhaps, but you are always prettier and smarter than any other woman." He told her and kissed her cheek again.

After a while, Nightingale and Aya had designed the perfect dress for Raven. She sent her cousin a picture message of the design and she loved it. They visited a while longer and then Nightingale and Jin changed and everyone went their separate ways.

The teens were still gone when Shigure and Nightingale arrived at Shigure's house. "We're all alone my love." Shigure said with a wicked grin.

"Really?" She replied. "Whatever shall we do?"

"We can start off with you putting that school girl uniform on again." Shigure answered.

Nightingale walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She stretched up and kissed him softly on the lips. "I'm just not sure I can walk all the way up to the bedroom." She said a grin on her face.

"Well I can fix that for you, my lady." Shigure said and then scooped her up in his arms and carried her upstairs.

Three hours later, Nightingale laid snuggled with Shigure in his bed, the blankets messed up around them and their clothes strewn on the floor. "I love you, Nightingale." Shigure said, his face inches from hers.

"I love you, Shigure." Nightingale said just before kissing the tip of Shigure's nose.

Shigure grinned and tenderly kissed her lips. Then he leaned his forehead against hers. "I can't wait for our trip to the hot spring." He said, softly.

"I know. Then we can stay together all night like this." Nightingale replied.

Shigure grinned impishly. "And don't forget, we get to be in the hot spring." He kissed her forehead and held her close.

Nightingale let out a small sigh. "I hate to, but I need to be going home."

Shigure pouted. "But I want you to stay."

"I have to." Nightingale replied, looking just as sad about it as he did. "I can't leave Mimi alone."

Shigure sighed. "I know." He kissed her forehead again. "I'll walk you home."

Then they both got up and got dressed. Then they headed downstairs, still straightening some of their clothes. "Oh I didn't know you were home Shigure." came the sweet voice of Tohru. "Oh and Miss Green, it's good to see you."

Both Shigure and Nightingale stopped dead in their tracks. Soon Tohru was joined by Kyou and Yuki. The boys just stared at them in shock. Tohru smiled sweetly, oblivious as to what this all meant.

Nightingale's face flushed slightly."I...it was good to see you too, Tohru. We were just getting ready to leave. I need to be getting home."

"And I have to protect her from all of those weirdos and perverts." Shigure said.

They hurriedly rushed out the door. They enjoyed the walk back to Nightingale's apartment. They stood on her front step, saying good night. Shigure cupped Nightingale's cheek in his hand. "I love you, so much." He said and kissed her lips.

"I love you...more." She said with a grin and then kissed his lips.

Shigure laughed. "We'll see." Then he kissed the top of her head and pulled her close. "Just a couple more weeks and we go to the hot spring."

"I can't wait." She said.

They kissed one more time and then Nightingale went inside and Shigure headed home, a huge ear to ear grin on his face the whole time.


	11. Chapter 11

The next couple of weeks were an eternity to Shigure and Nightingale, but it was finally spring break. It was actually the night before they were supposed to be leaving for their trip and Nightingale was driving her little sister crazy figuring out what to pack.

"I just don't know what all to bring." Nightingale lamented to her sister.

"I'm sure shigure would be happy if you brought nothing." Mimi teased.

Nightingale let out a small laugh. "Why must you do that?"

Mimi just grinned. "Hey, you and Shigure are adults and you are going away on a trip together; it's no secret what's going on there."

Nightingale glared playfully at Mimi. Then she threw a pillow at her.

Mimi dodged the pillow and then stuck her tounge out at Nightingale. "You know you love me and wouldn't trade me for anything."

Nightingale sighed dramatically. "I guess."

The two sisters shared a laugh and then both finished packing for their trips. Then they watched a little TV and went to bed. Both of them were looking forward to their trips the next day.

Shigure woke up and it was Monday morning. Today he would be leaving on his trip with Nightingale to the hot spring. He got up and got dressed quickly, not wanting to waste any time. Tohru had breakfast ready and waiting on the table.

Shigure quickly dug in. The teenagers looked at him surprised. They couldn't believe how quickly he was eating and how excited he looked. "What do you look so happy for?" Kyou asked, his voice irritated as usual.

Shigure looked up from his now empty plate. "It's spring break." He replied with a smile. "And I am going on a trip with Nightingale."

"Oh that sounds wonderful." Tohru said with a happy smile. "How long will you be gone?"

"All week." Shigure answered. "We'll be returning sometime Sunday."

"Where will you be going, if you don't mind my asking?" Tohru inquired.

"I don't mind at all. I'm taking her to the hot spring."

Yuki and Kyou both just looked at Shigure. _He's such a pervert._They both thought.

_Taking her to the hot spring? I mean really?_ Kyou thought. _I may never return there myself again._

Shigure looked at the clock. "Well I should be going. You kids have fun while I'm gone. And don't do anything I wouldn't do." He said as he went out the door. Once outside he hopped on a private charter bus and was soon on his way to pick up his lady love.

Soon the bus pulled up and shigure got off and knocked on her door. She answered quickly, with her bags ready at the door. Mimi had left earlier with Momiji and the others, so everything was ready. Nightingale locked her door and they hopped on the bus.

"This is amazing." Nightingale said as she took in the luxurious conditions of the bus. "I can't believe that you did this."

Shigure grinned and kissed her forehead. "I can't have my fair lady traveling in anything other than style and comfort." He told her. "Now, let's have a seat." With that, Shigure sat down and pulled Nightingale into his lap.

"I can't believe that we get a whole week to ourselves." She said, the excitement in her voice.

Shigure kissed the top of her head. "Yes, it is quite amazing."

Nightingale yawned and snuggled closer to Shigure. She suddenly felt very tired. She'd been grading so many papers and having long phone conversations with her cousin, trying to help her plan her wedding.

"You look exhausted. What's wrong?" Shigure asked.

"Oh just a bunch of papers to grade and spending time on the phone with Raven, trying to calm her down. She's wound incredibly tight. I mean she freaks out over the smallest things." Nightingale answered. "And it's been stressing me out."

"Then this trip couln't have come at a better time!" Shigure sang. "The hot spring is the perfect place for you to relax and forget just for a little while about all of that other stuff."

"I just hope Raven doen't need me for anything." Nightingale said, the cell phone in her pocket suddenly feeling heavy.

Shigure held out his hand palm up and open. "Hand over your cell phone."

Nightingale looked at him hesitantly. "What if she needs me?"

"She can call someone else. You need to relax. And besides, I wasn't asking."

Nightingale sighed and handed over her cell phone. Shigure took it and turned it off. Then he tossed it on the floor. Then he laid Nightingale back across the seats and kissed her passionately. When he pulled away, a smile was plastered on both their faces. "When we get to the hot spring, we'll take a dip and I'll give you a massage." He said, kissing her neck.

"That sounds wonderful." Nightingale replied.

The bus stopped just then. "Ah, we must be here." Shigure sang, setting up and pulling Nightingale up with him.

The bus door opened and they stepped off. The driver unloaded their bags and then got back on the bus and drove off. The hostess that was there for Tohru's visit, appeared along with a man, who picked up their bags.

"Welcome young master Shigure." She greeted. "Ah, and you must be Miss Nightingale. Welcome."

"Thank you." Nightingale said.

"Please allow me to show you to your rooms." the hostess said and then started walking toward the building.

Nightingale looked at Shigure, confusion in her eyes.

Shigure leaned in close and whispered, "Just go with it. She'd go nuts if she knew we were going to be sharing a room."

Nightingale nodded and followed the hostess. They were led to a spacious room. "Over there is the dining area, here is the couch, andover there is Master Shigure's room and your room os just right across from it, Miss Nightingale." She told them pointing out all of the important points. "There's the bathroom and right out there is the hot spring. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you." Shigure said.

The hostess was eyeing something on the couch. Then she began to freak out, "I'm sorry! I am so sorry!" She then leaped on the couch and pulled a pillow off the couch. "This pillow had a loose thread! Forgive me! I should have inspected this! It should have never have been in here! I am a worthless hostess!"

Nightingale looked up at Shigure, her face horror stricken. "I...is she alright?"

"She's fine. She'll calm down in a little bit." Shigure answered.

About twenty minutes later, the rant stopped and she left Shigure and Nightingale alone. Shigure turned to Nightingale, an impish grin on his face. "Are you ready to get in the hot spring?" He asked.

"And my massage, don't forget my massage." Nightingale answered.

"Oh don't worry I won't." Shigure replied, his eyes dancing with mischief.

Nightingale giggled and then headed to the bathroom. She pulled her hair up into a sloppy bun. Then she slipped out of her clothes and wrapped a towel around herself. She walked out of the bathroom and found Shigure standing in the middle of the room, a towel draped around his waist, a huge grin on his face.

They walked outside, Shigure's hand holding hers. At the edge of the hot spring, Shigure dropped his towel and then got in. Nightingale dropped her towel and followed him in. Shigure pulled Nightingale tp set in front of him and began massaging her shoulders.

"Your muscles are tight right here." He commented. "But I think that I can fix that."

"You do have magic hands." Nightingale said, already able to feel the tension leaving her body with his touch. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. This trip was exactly what she needed.

Shigure began kissing Nightingale's neck. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.

Nightingale leaned back, into him. "I love you, too."

Shigure smiled. Nightingale was relaxing and enjoying the massage and the hot spring. e hoped to be giving her the gift he had bought for her soon. He almost wanted to run in and get it now, but he knew it wasn't quite the right time just yet.


	12. Chapter 12

Nightingale awoke early the next day. She rolled over and snuggled closer to Shigure, trying to go back to sleep. After ten minutes, she realized that she couldn't go back to sleep. She looked up at Shigure, who was sound asleep with a peaceful grin on his face. She debated for a moment and then decided to let him sleep.

Nightingale rolled back over and then climbed out of bed. She headed to the bathroom and grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. Then she pulled her hair up in a sloppy bun and headed out to the hot spring. Once she was in, she leaned back and relaxed. She looked up at the clear blue sky. A few white puffs of clouds were scattered over the sky. The sun was low in the sky, it being so early still.

"I was wondering where you had run off to." came the sing-song voice of Shigure.

Nightingale turned her attention from the sky and to her love. She smiled up at him. "Are you going to join me?"

"I was planning on it." He replied, just before removing his towel and getting in. He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "You look well rested and relaxed."

"The hot spring and your magic hands did the trick." She told him, a lazy grin on her face.

Shigure leaned in and gently kissed her lips. "I love you."

"I love you...more." Nightingale said with a grin.

They relaxed in the hot spring a while longer and then headed back inside. They got dressed and then headed out to breakfast. Nightingale was surprised when the hostess and the chef started freaking out about something that they thought was wrong with the meal. "They're cousins." Shigure explained and shrugged it off.

After breakfast they walked back in and snuggled up on the couch. After a few moments Shigure let out a small sigh.

"Is something worng?" Nightingale asked.

"Well," Shigure began, "I have a six hundred page manuscript dew in a few days and I have writer's block. I was hoping this trip would help me get over that."

"So now I see why you wanted to go on this trip." Nightingale said in a teasing tone.

"No, I thought that we established the fact that I wanted to see you naked." Shigure teased.

Nightingale laughed. "Would you like to bounce ideas off of me?" She asked, wanting to help Shigure.

"That sounds wonderful." Shigure replied.

"So what's it about?"

"Well you see, there's this guy and he takes the love if his life on a trip and he has a gift for her." Shigure began.

"Is he going to give this gift to her?"

"Yes, you see he gets down on one knee like this." Shigure said getting down on one knee in front of Nightingale. "Then he pulls this from his pocket." He then pulls a small box from his pocket and opens it up and inside is a white gold diamond engagement ring. The diamond is five carrots.

Nightingale's eyes got wide and tears of joy welled up and made them sparkle.

"Then he says, "Miss Nightingale Green, I have loved you ever since you first turned me into a dog and I have not stopped loving you since. Will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?""

A big smile lit up Nightingale's face. "Yes, yes and a thousand times yes!"

Shigure grinned and slipped the ring on her finger. Then he kissed her hand. Then Nightingale flew off of the couch and right into Shigure's arms, knocking him flat on his back on the floor. She kissed him breathless, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Shigure smiled and slowly sat up. He pulled Nightingale close and just held her. "I love you, Nightingale Green, my future wife." He gently whispered.

"I love you, Shigure Sohma, my future husband." She whispered back as she snuggled in close.

**A/N: This is for my bestie...and you know who you are...Nahnahnahnana Aqua Man!**


	13. Chapter 13

The next few days passed rather quickly. Shigure didn't want to give up his alone time with Nightingale and she didn't want to either, but she was also dying to share the wonderful news. When the day came and they had to leave, they were both a bit sad to see their alone time gone, but they knew they would get more later.

They arrived at Shigure's house to find an expectant Aya and Hari, sitting in the living room. "Well?" Aya asked dramatically.

Shigure and Nightkngale grinned at each other. Then Shigure turned to his friends and cousins, "She said, "Yes!""

Aya jumped up and pulled Nightingale into a big hug. "Welcome to the family!" He sang. "It's going to be so winderful to have a new woman in the family and someone as beautiful as yourself..." Aya went on and on, still hugging NIghtingale, very tightly.

Hatori stood up and tapped Aya on the shoulder. "If you don't let go of her soon, she is going to pass out." He said matter-of-factly.

Aya then looked down and noticed a half conscious Nightingale. "Oh, I'm sorry." He said letting her go.

Shigure stepped in and quickly caught her as she fell. He held her steady. "Are you alright, my love?" He asked.

"I'm fine." She said and then grinned. "Now can I have my cell phone back?"

"Why?" Shigure asked, knowing that she would have a million messages from her cousin.

"So I can send Raven a picture of my ring." She answered, with a wicked grin.

"I feel like there's more to why you want your phone back." Shigure said.

Nightingale grinned. "I really do wanna send her a picture of my ring...so I can rub it in her face that my diamond is bigger." She giggled.

Shigure laughed. "Okay, I think that that's a good reason." He reached into his pocket and pulled out her phone.

Nightingale took it and kissed him on the cheek. She turned her phone on and instantly a million texts and missed calls and messages came up. She read the texts and could tell that Raven was mad at her, but she didn't care. She took a picture of her ring and sent it with the following message:

I'm sorry that I didn't get your messages, but I was on a nice little vacation with Shigure, the guy I met in college and am crazy about. Well he proposed and gave me this gorgeous ring. So sorry I was enjoying my life.

"That's a little harsh." shigure said reading the message over her shoulder.

Nightingale just grinned at him. "Hey you said that I needed a vacation and you were right."

"Good point." Shigure said and kissed the top of her head.

After a while, the charter bus containing Mimi and the other young Sohmas pulled up. They all came in the house. Mimi of course, ran to her sister. "Oh my goodness! I had so much fun!" Mimi said, excited.

Nightingale laughed. "I bet you did."

"Oh, I bet you did too." Mimi replied with a wink.

Nightingale grinned at her sister. "Actually I did." Then she held out her left hand.

Mimi's eyes got wide as she took in the diamond. She then squealed and hugged her sister. "I'm so happy for you! This is so exciting!" Then she tirned to see Shigure walking out of the kitchen. She ran up to him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so excited for you guys! Welcome to the family!"

Shigure laughed. "Thank you."

Just then Tohru, Kyou, and Yuki all came in the door. "Oh yay the pervert is back." Kyou said sarcastically.

Then Aya and Hatori walked out. "Yuki! You're home!" Aya said and ran to hug Yuki.

Yuki just looked mortified. Once Aya got close enough, Yuki sent him flying into a wall with a kick.

Tohru looked at Nightingale and noticed the ring on her hand. She smiled brightly. "Congratulations!" She said and ran and hugged Nightingale.

The two teenage boys just looked confused. "What exactly are you congratualting her for, Miss Honda?" Yuki asked.

"She and Shigure are engaged!" Tohru answered, her face even more cheerful than usual.

Then the boys both noticed the ring. Kyou walked over to her and said, "I'm so sorry." Then he walked upstairs.

Yuki walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "My condolences, Miss Green." Then he walked away.

Nightingale just looked confused. Shigure pouted playfully. "I'm not bad."

"I think you're wonderful." Nightingale said with a grin and walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

"Oh, I'm really sorry." Kyou said.

After a while, Nightingale and Mimi left and headed back to their apartment. Once they arrived home, Nightingale suddenly felt very tired and headed to bed and it was only eight. She woke up the next morning feeling sick to her stomache. She decided to call in to work. She needed a sick day.

Once she got Mimi off to school, Nightingale went back to bed. She slept until noon. When she woke up she felt much better, but she still felt funny. She went through her medicine cabinet and began looking through it. There was nothing for nausea...actually nothing at all was in the cabinet. She got dressed and headed to the drug store.

She was walking down the asiles and picked up what she needed and then something else caught her eye. She had no idea why, but she decided to pick it up. She checked out and headed home. Then she locked herself in the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later she was staring at what she had bought. She couldn't believe her eyes, but it was there. She came out of the bathroom and put it in her dresser. She then climbed back in her pajamas and curled up in bed under the covers. She quickly fell asleep.

Shigure was headed to NIghtingale's classroom, when Mimi stopped him. "Hey Shigure!" She called, running up to him.

"Hello Mimi." He greeted with a smile. "I was just headed to see your sister."

"You're going the wrong way. She took a sick day. She woke up not feeling good."

"Oh." Shigure said. "I'll come over for a little bit then and check on her."

Mimi smiled. "I'm sure she'll like that, if she's even conscieous."

The two walked to the apartment and found that Nightingale was indeed in bed asleep. Mimi went into the kitchen and started on dinner while Shigure took a seat in the living room. An hour later he could hear Nightingale's footsteps heading to the living room.

She looked at him and smiled. "Hey.' She said weakly.

He smiled back. "How are you feeling?" He asked, concern coloring his tone and wiping away the smile.

"I'm okay." She said and started walking to him about half way to the couch, she fainted.

Shigure caught her before she made contact with the ground. He got her on the couch and Mimi walked in.

"Is she okay? What happened?"

"I don't know, but she fainted. I'm going to call my cousin Hatori, he's a doctor." Shigure said, his face filled with concern.

Mimi nodded and handed him her cell.

Shigure dialed Hari's number and told him what was going on. He hung up the phone and looked at Mimi. "He'll be here in about twenty minutes."

Mimi nodded. "Should we take her to the bed so she'll be more comfortable?"

"Yea." Shigure said and scooped Nightingale in his arms. He carried her to the bed and laid her down under the covers.

Nightingale woke up. she looked around her and saw Hatori standing over her. She looked confused and her head hurt. "What's going on?" she asked her voice groggy.

"You passed out." Hatori answered.

Then Nightingale remembered being sick and then walking out to see Shigure on her couch then everything going black. Even more importantly she remembered what she had bought at the drug store.

Hatori could tell that she suddenly remembered everything. "So, when were you planning on telling Shigure that you're pregnant?" He asked.

**A/N: So what do you guys think about this chapter? I was also wondering big wedding for Shigure and Nightingale or small wedding or elope? **


	14. Chapter 14

"So, when were you planning on telling Shigure that you're pregnant?" Hatori asked.

Nightingale felt his question weighing on her as if the weight of the entire world were on her shoulders. "I...I don't know." She answered honestly, on the brink of tears. "I just found out myself. I wanted to make sure before I told him."

"You are, I saw the home test lying on the floor and did my own just to be sure." He told her.

"I just...I don't know if he wants a baby." She said, the tears spilling over, sobs spilling from her chest.

Hatori's hard look softened and a small smile aooeared on his face. He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. He reached a sympathetic hand out and touched her shoulder. "I'm sure he'll be excited...once he gets over the initial shock of being a father. The curse is broken, so he won't be worrying about that. He will be excited."

Nightingale looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent, and full of hope and disbelief. "You really think so?"

Hatori nodded. "I'll let him know that you're awake." He told her standing up and walking to the door.

Nightingale nodded and began calming herself down. She prepared herself to tell Shigure the news.

Shigure was setting in the living room of Nightingale's apartment. A look of worry was etched on his face. _I hope she's okay. Hatori's been back there a long time._ Mimi was in the kitchen making busy work for herself. She was cleaning and cooking. After a few more moments, Hatori finally came back to the living room.

"She's awake now." He said. "And she's going to be fine."

Shigure stood up and headed back to Nightingale's bedroom. He saw her setting up on the bed and he could see that her eyes were red. He practically ran to her. He sat on the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Nightingale took a deep breath. She snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Nothing is wrong." She answered.

"Why were you crying?" Shigure asked, worrying lining his face.

"Because I'm not sure how you'll take the news." She answered, pulling back and looking up at him.

Shigure's brow furrowed in confusion. "What news?"

Nightingale took another deep breath. "I...I'm p...pre...pregnant."

Shigure blinked as the news set in. "How did this happen?" He asked, in shock.

Hatori happened to walk in just as Nightingale had given the news. Then at Shigure;s question, he couldn't help but answer, "Well, Shigure, when a man and woman love each other very much..."

Shigure cut him off. "I know how it works. I just meant, we used protection."

"It's only 98% effective." Hatori answered. "That means 2% of the time it doesn't work."

Nightingale's face held a frown and tears were forming in her eyes. She looked at her hands in her lap and sniffed. "I knew this would happen." She said, having a hard time holding back her tears. "I knew you wouldn't be happy about having a baby."

"That's not true." Shigure said. He pulled Nightingale back into his arms. "It's just a surprise."

"You're just saying that." She said.

Shigure moved his hand under her chin. He coaxed her face up to look at him. "I'm not just saying that." He told her. "I'm so happy to be having a baby with you. I am going to love this child so much." He kissed her softly on the lips.

"You're serious?" She asked.

Shigure smiled. "Of course I am." He then placed his hand loveingly over her stomache. He kissed her forehead. "I love you." Then he bent down and kissed he abdomin. "And I love you."

A huge smile lit up Nightingale's face. She snuggled up to Shigure and kissed his cheek. "And we love you, too."

A few more moments passed and then Mimi came in the room. "Okay, so what's going on? She asked, still worrying about her sister.

"I'm fine, you're going to be an aunt." Nightingale answered.

"That's good. I'm glad you're..." she trailed off as her sister's words sinking in. "You're pregnant?"

"Yes."

Mimi shrieked with joy. "I can't believe it! First you and Shigure are engaged and now you guys are having a baby! This is so exciting!"


	15. Chapter 15

Nightingale and Mimi finished packing the last of their things. The movers would be coming soon for their furniture. Shigure, Kyou, Yuki, and Hatori helped them load their bags in the van. Once they had everything loaded and the movers arrived, they hopped in the van. Hatori naturally, took the driver's seat. Yuki sat in the front passenger seat. Nightingale and Shigure took the middle two seats and Tohru sat in the back middle seat between Kyou and Mimi.

The group shortly arrived at Shigure's house. They quickly unloaded the suits cases and boxes. Tohru helped Mimi carry her bags to their shared room. The movers would soon be arriving with her bed. "I'm sorry to be such a bother." Mimi said, as they unpacked a few of her things.

"You're no bother. Why would you say that?" Tohru asked sweetly.

"Because you have to share your room with me. I know it doesn't really seem fair."

Tohru just smiled at her. "I think this will be fun. It'll be like having a sleep over every night."

Mimi grinned and then hugged Tohru. "Thank you."

Shigure wouldn't let Nightingale carry any of her bags. He carried all of them to his room, which would now be hers as well. "I'm pregnant, not helpless." Nightingale said trying to get one of her bags from Shigure.

Shigure just smiled and kissed the top of her head. Then he finished carrying the last of her bags to their room. "I'll let you unpack them and put your stuff wherever you want it." He said, setting down her last bag.

Nightingale just playfully glared at him. She then turned and popped open one of her suit cases and began unpacking it. She hung up some of her clothes and then left some folded and put them away. Shigure began helping her. The first suit case he opened, of course had her underwear and nighties. He pulled out a pair of red lace panties and held them up. "When were you planning on wearing these for me?" he asked.

Nightingale blushed slightly and laughed. Then she took the panties from him. "I'm not sure. Probably whenever I felt like putting them on."

"Do you feel like putting them on now?" He asked.

She grinned at him and then placed her finger to her chin in a thoughtful look. "Nope, not today."

Shigure pouted playfully. "But, I want you to."

Nightingale laughed and then kissed his jutted-out bottom lip. "Maybe later."

Shigure smiled. Then they returned to unpacking. Soon the movers arrived with their furniture. Mimi's bed was taken to her and Tohru's room. A few other small things were unloaded and then the rest was taken to a storage unit.

Everything was unpacked and put away. Shigure sat on the couch and pulled Nightingale in his lap. Just as everyone was settling in to enjoy a quiet afternoon, there was a knock on the door. Tohru got up to answer it.

"Awe, hello beautiful princess!" came the familiar dramatic voice.

"Oh, hello Ayame." Tohru greeted brightly.

The two walked in the living room. "Ah, I see that this house has become much fuller!" Ayame said, greeting everyone in the room.

Yuki was up and running for the door.

"Don't worry dear little brother, I'm not here to see you." Ayame said. "I'm actually here to see Shigure and his dearly beloved." He then sat on the couch beside them.

Nightingale raised her eyebrow.

"What are you here for?" Shigure asked.

"I'm here to help you two plan your wedding, of course." Aya said as of it were the most obvious answer in the world.

Nightingale's face was a mixture between relief and fear.

"Now, I was thinking something big and grand. You," he said pointing to Nightingale, "in a beautiful ball gown with a huge train. There will be doves and..."

"Hold on a second." Nightingale said.

Ayame blinked in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"That sounds lovely, but that's not my dream wedding." Nightingale said, trying to be polite. "I was thinking something much smaller."

"I like that idea." Shigure said and kissed her cheek.

"How much smaller?" Ayame asked.

"I was thinking just a small ceremoney with only the closest family and friends. A simple dress. Something like that." She answered.

"How do you feel about this Shigure?" Aya asked, wanting to plan a big wedding in the worst way.

"I like the idea of a small wedding." Shigure answered, wanting whatever Nightingale wanted. "Besides she needs to be avoiding stress and a arger wedding would be too much stress."

Nightingale nodded.

"Are you sick?" Ayame asked, his face suddenly concerned.

"No, stress just isn't good for me and it's even worse for the baby." Nightingale answered.

"You're pregnant?" Aya asked.

"You didn't know?" Shigure asked.

"No, I didn't." Aya said, his eyes wide. Then he pulled Nightingale and Shigure into a hug, "Congratulations! This is so exciting!"

Ayame stayed for a while longer, but left before dinner. After a while, Nightingale's phone alerted her to a text message. She opened it up and saw that it was from Raven. The text was giving Nightingale orders to get on a plane and come over to help her. Nightingale glared at the text. She was angry. she suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy.

"Nightingale? Are you alright?" Shigure asked, seeing that she was paler than usual.

Before she could answer, Nightingale passed out.

Shigure caught her before she could make contact with the floor. Hatori was quickly called back to the house. He did a few tests. "Her blood pressure is up. It's much higher than it should be."

After a while Nightingale woke up. Hatori explained to her that she really needed to avoid stress. Nightingale nodded and looked at Shigure, "Hand me my phone please?"

"Why?" He asked.

"I'm going to call Raven and tell her to take her attitude and stick it where the sun doesn't shine and then I am going to tell her I quit as her maid of honor." Nightingale said. "Her wedding is stressing me out."

Shigure grinned and handed her the phone. Nightingale dialed her cousin's number and Raven answered.

"Are you on your way here?" Raven asked, her tone hateful and demanding.

"No, and I won't be coming back." Nightingale said, her tone much nicer than Raven's.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like your attitude." Nightingale replied, allowing her tone to become more acidic. "And further more, I am no longer going to be your maid of honor."

"What? Why?" Raven asked, her tone outraged.

"Because it's too much stress."

"But I need you."

"No, I need to avoid stress. It's bad for my health and it's even worse for the health of my baby." With that Nightingale hung up the phone. She looked at Shigure and Hatori. "No more stress and Raven gets to feel like a heel."

Shigure laughed. "You enjoy making her feel guilty don't you?"

"Just a little bit."

Before long, Hatori left and everyone went to bed. Nightingale snuggled up with Shigure. He smiled at her and kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She replied. Then she reached up and kissed his cheek.

They turned the lights out and soon fell asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Before you read this, I am going to tell you that this chapter ends with a lemon.**

Shigure sat in his study typing up his manuscript. He was having a burst of inspiration. The words seemed to flow from his brain to his finger tips and then flood onto the screen. He couldn't stop typing.

_Her long firey locks flowed around her shoulders and down her back as she released her hair from the tightly wound bun. Her eyes glimmered like emeralds. She leaned in closer to him, "I love you. I always have." She said, speaking the words he had been wanting to hear for years._

_ "I love you, too. I've loved you from the day you found out my secret." He told her, leaning closer._

_ She leaned in closer to him and their lips met in a long-awaited kiss. The years they had spent apart suddeny seemed to fall from their memories. The world around them melted away. All that existed for them, was that moment, the kiss, and their love._

With that Shigure closed the first chapter of his new novel. He looked up at the clock. Nightingale had been at Aya's shop for two hours. She was over there designing her wedding dress adn Shigure wasn't allowed to come. He wasn't allowed to see the dress until the wedding day. They had set the date for a month away. He sighed and went back to work on the next chapter of his novel.

"I want something simple." Nightingale explained to Ayame. "I was thinking an A-line dress."

Ayame nodded. he drew a simple A-line dress on the paper. "Do you want sleeves?"

"Short ones, yes." Nightingale answered. "Oh and I want lace. I love lace."

Ayame smiled at her. "Lace is wonderful. Very feminine and delicate."

Nightingale nodded her agreement.

They spent a while longer designing the dress until they had Nigtingale's dream wedding gown. It was simple and beautiful. It was perfect. Mine took Nightingale's measurements. "Don't forget to add a couple inches to me waist to make room for my baby bump." Nightingale said with a smile.

"We may even have to make room in the bust. I hear that that area can grow too." Mine said with a laugh.

Nightingale joined in her laugh. "That's good news for Shigure."

Mine laughed even harder.

Aya came in the room, a smile on his face. "You two are giggling a lot. Do you need to share something with Shigure and myself?" He teased.

They all three laughed and then Nightingale was ready to go home. Aya insisted on walking her home. "I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to you. I must protect the delicate flower that you are from the creeps out there." Then they headed home.

Once they reached the house, Ayame burst through the door. "Shigure, I have brought your delicate and lovely flower, safely home!"

Shigure came out of his study. "Why thank you Aya! I shall forever be in your debt." Shigure sang.

Nightingale giggled and walked over to Shigure, who opened his arms wide for her. She stepped into his arms and softly kissed him on the lips.

"Well, I shall be going now." Ayame declared. "I have done my duty and it looks like you need some alone time. Good bye and farewell until next time."

"Good bye Aya." Shigure sang dramatically as Aya walked out the door.

Nightingale laughed and snuggled close to Shigure. "So, what have you been doing without me?" She asked.

"Writing." he answered simply. Then he kissed the top of her head. "I have had some inspiration lately."

"Really?" She asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yes." He replied with a smile. "Now, I believe Aya said something about giving us alone time."

Nightingale grinned. "I like the sound of that."

"Now close your eyes." He told her.

Nightingale raised an eyebrow, but complied.

Shigure took her by the hand and led her up the stairs and to the bathroom. "Open your eyes." He said.

Once again, Nightingale complied. The tub was filled with warm water and bubbles. On top of the bubbles were sprinkled red rose petals. Her eyes sparkled with happiness.

"I thought that you could use a nice hot relaxing bubble bath." Shigure said.

Nightingale smiled and turned around and kissed him. "You're the best."

Shigure grinned at her. "Enjoy your bath. I need to go and finish getting something else ready."

Nightingale looked confused. "For what?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Shigure teased. "Now enjoy your bath."

"Okay." Nightingale agreed.

Shigure left the room and went to finish up what he wanted to finish.

Nightingale slipped off her clothes and sank into the tub. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of the water soak around her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation. A while later, Shigure came in the room. He noticed that she had her eyes closed. He sat on the edge of the tub and started rubbing her shoulders.

"You finish whatever it was?" she asked, keeping her eyes closed, not jumping with surprise.

"Yup, and whenever you're ready to see what it is let me know." He told her and kissed the top of her head.

"Hmmm, just a few more minutes." She said, enjoying the shoulder rub.

"As you wish, my love."

About ten more minutes passed and Nightingale decided that she was ready to see the next surprise. She got out of the tub and dried off. Shigure held a purple silk robe open for her. She slipped in the rode. "Close your eyes again." Shigure told her.

Nightingale closed her eyes and allowed Shigure to lead her off to the next surprise. "Open your eyes."

Nightingale's eyes opened. They were in their room. The shades were drawn keeping out the light of day. Candles were lit all around the room and rose petals were on the bed. "This is so romantic." Nightingale said, her eyes wide.

Shigure grinned and closed the door behind him. He locked it and then scooped Nightingale into his arms. He carried her over to the bed and gently laid her down. He gently kissed her lips. Then he slowly untied her robe. He kissed her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her lips. He trailed kissed down her neck then kissed down between her breasts.

He moved his lips back up to hers and then moved a hand to cup her breast. Nightingale let out a small moan, her body extra sensetive due to the pregnancy. Shigure, noticing this fact, moved his other hand to cup her other breast.

Shigure stopped and then removed his own robe. He kissed down Nightingale's neck again. Then between her breasts. He then moved and gently kissed her stomache, acknowledging the baby. Then he moved back to her lips. He pulled away and then gently put his knee between her legs and parted her thighs. Even more gently, he entered her. Starting out with gentle easy strokes, moving in and out.

Each movement elicited a moan from Nightingale. The extra sensetivity adding to her pleasure. Shigure, getting some extra pleasure as well, started to move a little faster. Her moans became louder and more frequent. Soon, Shigure could feel his own pleasure increasing and mounting. They both came together. Her moan met with a growling sound emitting from Shigure.

After they had made love, Nightingale and Shigure laid in bed snuggled together. Nightingale kissed Shigure. "I love you."

Shigure smiled. "I love you, too." He kissed her forehead and held her close. Shigure then put his hand over her stomache.

Nightingale smiled and placed her hand over his. She closed her eyes and took a little nap, while Shigure held her.


	17. Chapter 17

Shigure sat in his dining room, his two best friends and cousins setting with him. they were all enjoying a cup of tea while Nightingale, Jin, and Mine were out shopping. They were all excited about the wedding and the baby.

"Gure?" Aya said.

"You never told us how Nightingale found out about the curse." Aya said. "Would you tell us?"

Shigure set down his cup of tea. A thoughtful smile came on his face. "Well..." He began.

_Flashback_

_ Shigure and Nightingale had decided to skip class their classes for the day and go for a walk in the woods surrounding the campus. They were planning on enjoying a picnic lunch by a little stream and maybe even get some writing in._

_ "I can't believe I let you talk me into skipping class." Nightingale said._

_ "You're the one that wanted to have a picnic." Shigure teased. "Besides I can't resist that food you make with your hot plate and micrwave. I mean you are very creative with the traditional college diet."_

_ Nightingale laughed. "I can hear the stream. I think we're close." She pushed aside some bushes and stepped through. _

_ Shigure followed her. They carefully walked because the stream was downhill from where they were. In the next second, Nightingale had tripped over a tree root. Acting on instinct, Shigure reached out for her and tried to stop her from falling. Unfortunately, he just fell with her. In the end he fell on top of her and then poof he was a dog._

_ Nightingale looked up and saw the black dog looking at her, his eyes holding panic. She blinked a few times, confused. Then she looked over and saw Shigure's clothes on the ground. She looked back at the dog. "Shigure?" she asked._

_ The dog hesitated. Then sighed. "Yes, it's me." He said._

_ Nightingale blinked once again. "Is this a joke or a dream?"_

_ "No, I really am a dog."_

_ "That's actually cool." She told him with a smile._

_ Shigure looked up. "You really think so?"_

_ "Yea." Then she laughed. "I always knew men were dogs."_

_ "So, it doesn't bother you?"_

_ "No, but I do have a question for you."_

_ "You mean why I turn into a dog whenever someone of the opposite sex hugs me?"_

_ "That would be it exactly."_

_ "My family is cursed by the zodiac." He then went on to explain the whole story._

_ "So, when do you turn back?" She asked him._

_ "That varies each time. There is one thing though..." and poof, there Shigure stood completely naked._

_ Nightingale's eyes widened and her cheeks reddened. Once her mind caught up to her, she turned her back to him._

_ Shigure laughed and quickly redressed. Then he spread the picnic blanket and they both sat and enjoyed the meal. _

_Present day..._

"We continued to talk and laugh. It was like nothing had changed, but everything had. It was also that day that I fell in love with her." Shigure finished.

"What a beautiful story!" Aya commented.

Hatori just smiled.

Just then, the women walked in the door. They were carrying several shopping bags. Shigure got up and headed right for Nightingale. He took the bags she held. "Where would you like me to take these, my love?" He asked.

"Our room." She answered.

"We'll take these to the nursery." Mine said, holding up her bags.

"What's in those?" Shigure asked.

"Some baby clothes. Mostly in yellow since I'm not far enough along to tell the sex yet." Nightingale answered. She then patted her slightly swollen stomache.

Shigure grinned and bent down to kiss her baby bump. Then he took the bag up the stairs. He quickly made his way back down and pulled Nightingale into his arms. Then he kissed her forehead.

Mine and Jin watched them, smiles on their faces. It was wonderful how happy they were. Then they both shared a look and then grabbed Nightingale and pulled her away. Shigure blinked in confusion and then pouted. "What's going on?"

"We have a few things to finish up for the wedding." Mine replied. "We've designed Nightingale's dress and Mimi's maid of honor dress."

"And now we have to design our dresses. Nightingale has asked us to be her bridesmaids." Jin finished.

Then they walked to another room. After a while the three couples sat in the living room and enjoyed spending some quality time together. They talked and laughed and watched a movie. When the four teenagers returned home, Aya of course chased his poor brother around the room.

Shigure laughed and pulled Nightingale close. He began rubbing her stomache, without even really thinking about it. Nightingale just smiled and then kissed his cheek. Then a knock sounded on the door. Tohru walked from the kitchen to answer it. When she opened the door she found someone she had never seen before standing on the other side.


	18. Chapter 18

"Uhm, hello." greeted the stranger at the door. "Is Nightingale here?"

"Yes, please come in." Tohru said. "Follow me." They then walked into the living room.

Nightingale looked up and her face became a mixture of surprise and slight anger. _What's she doing here?_ Nightingale thought to herself.

"You don't look happy to see me, coz."

"I don't know why." Nightingale said sarcastically. "It couldn't have anything to do with the way you treated me."

"I know and I'm terribly sorry." the other woman said.

"Uhm, excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" Shigure asked, curious of who she was and why Nightingale was so upset.

"Oh, how rude of me. I am Nightingale's cousin, Raven." She answered and then politely bowed.

Everyone in the room looked surprised. Raven was the complete opposite of Nightingale. Her hair was cut to just below her chin, and was black as night. Her skin was much paler than Nightingale's (and Nightingale was pretty pale). She wore a white button-up blouse with a collar that came up to her chin. Her high-wasited skirt came up well over her belly button and went down to the floor. Her eyes were a a dark flat blue and held a cold and distant look in them. She was nothing like Nightingale and it was hard to believe that they were related.

"Exactly what do you want, Raven?" Nightingale asked.

"I came here to say that I am terribly sorry, from the bottom of my heart. I should never have treated you that way. Will you please be my maid of honor again? I'll even pay for your travel expenses." Raven pleaded.

Nightingale thought for a moment. "Nope, I can't." She answered.

"Why not?" Raven asked, her tone becoming indignant. "You aren't having your wedding then are you?"

"No." Nightingale said and patted her stomache. "I'll be roughly eight month pregnant when you get married."

"You can wear flats!" Raven said.

Hatori cut in the conversation here. "When she is that far along, it won't be safe for her to travel."

Raven's face was filled with fury. "Who are you and what gives you the authority to say that it's not safe for her to travel then?"

Hatori just kept calm. "I'm her doctor." He answered.

Raven just stood there speechless.

"And Shigure and I are getting married in three weeks." Nightingale said. "So, we won't be messing up your wedding."

"I'm staying in the Zodiac Hotel **(A/N: I just made that up)** if you would like to contact me." Raven said and then left.

Nightingale let out a sigh. "I'll go and see her later." She said.

Shigure kissed her cheek. Then he started rubbing her shoulders. "You're getting tense, my love. Maybe you shouldn't go and see her." Shigure said, his voice concerned.

"You really need to avoid stress." Hatori told her.

"I know, but at the end of the day she is still my cousin. Still family and that's important. I'll just give her some time to calm down." Nightingale said.

Hatori, Jin, Aya, and Mine stayed for a while longer and finally left around ten at night. Nightingale stood up and yawned and stretched. "I think I'm ready for bed."

"Me, too." Shigure said, standing up.

They both walked upstairs to their room. Nightingale slipped out of her sundress and pulled a pink silk night gown from the dresser. Shigure walked over to her and pulled her in his arms before she could change. He kissed her forehead. "I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too." She whispered back. "Now can I please put my night gown on?"

Shigure pulled back and held her by the shoulders at arms' length. "Why would you want to do that?"

"To cover myself." She answered, her cheeks reddening.

Shigure just grinned. "But why? You are so beautiful. I also love seeing the baby bump. It's so beautiful." He then bent down and kissed the small baby bump. Then he placed his hand lovingly over the slightly swollen area. "This is our baby."

Nightingale smiled. She placed her hand over his. "The best of the both of us."

Shigure looked up and smiled. Then he softly kissed Nightingale's stomache once again. "Daddy loves you." he whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

Nightingale sat at her desk grading papers once more. She had to admit to herself that she was an easy grader. _As long as they try and it makes sense from their point of view._ She thought as she gave yet another full credit score of ten to one of the students.

Nightingale leaned back in her chair and sighed. She placed her hand over her stomache. Next week was her and Shigure's wedding. She smiled at the thought. Then she looked up at the clock. She had an hour before her father would be arriving. Mimi was supposed to be meeting her soon so they could go pick him up at the airport together.

_She should be here soon. What could be taking her so long?_ Nightingale thought.

Mimi stood outside the doors of the lobby. She walked in and over to the front desk. "Raven Green's room please?" She asked the clerk of the Zodiac Hotel.

"Room number three one one four." The clerk answered. "Take the elevator to the third floor. Then turn right and it should be the fourth room on the left side of the hall."

"Thank you." Mimi said with a polite bow and headed over to the elevator. She followed the directions the clerk had given her and easily found the room. She knocked on the door.

The door open and there stood Raven. "Mimi? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I wanted to talk to you. May I come in?"

Raven nodded and stepped aside to let her enter. They both took a seat on the floor. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Raven asked.

"I want to talk about Nightingale." Mimi replied.

"Have you come to try and apologize for your sister, then?"

"No, I came to try and get you to apologize."

"Why should I apologize?"

"Because she's been so nice to you all these years and all you've ever done is bully her. You've always been a selfish person and yet Nightingale has treated you with love and kindness. She has been keeping all of her emotions bottled up from every time you have treated her horribly and that's not good for her health. It's even worse for her health now that she's pregnant." Mimi scolded.

"It's not my fault she got knocked up." Raven said.

Mimi sighed. "Why can't you ever look beyond yourself? This stress isn't good for her. If she weren't pregnant, then she would still be putting up with your crap and you know it."

"She just has a bad attitude." Raven said. "And so do you. It must be why your mother couldn't stand to be around you two. That's why she left."

Mimi's anger flared. "That was too far. You're the one with the bad attitude. You're just so hateful. I can't believe there's even a man who will marry you." She stood up and stormed out of the room. As she headed back to the school to meet her sister, tears streamed down her face. She tried her best to calm down. _I don't want to worry Nightingale. She has enough stress already._

By the time she arrived at school, Mimi had been able to calm herself. She went to the bathroom and checked her reflection. All traces of tears had gone. She sighed and put a smile on her face. Then she headed to Nightingale's classroom.

"Ah, there you are Mimi. Are you ready to go and pick up Dad?" Nightingale asked, a soft happy smile on her face.

Mimi grinned. "Yup." Although Raven had just hit below the belt, Mimi was happy to see her father. _Even if Mom didn't want us, we've always had Dad, He's always loved us._

They headed out to Nightingale's car and hopped in and drove to the airport. They arrived shortly and waited for their father. As soon as they spotted him, they ran to him. He greeted his daughters with a warm smile and a big hug.

"Are you ready to go Daddy?" Mimi asked.

"Yes I am. I'm ready to meet this Shigure that's marrying my little princess." He answered and looked at Nightingale.

Nightingale just giggled. "We have to get you set up in the hotel first, Daddy. Then we are heading over for dinner."

They then headed over to the Golden Dragon Hotel (**once again, I completely made it up**). "This hotel is very nice. It must be costing you guys a fortune." Robert Green told his daughters.

"Oh, it's not costing a thing, Shigure's family owns this hotel." Nightingale said absent-mindedly.

Robert blinked. "Really?"

"Yup, they own a lot of buildings here." Mimi said.

Robert continued to unpack his things. _I don't care how much money his family makes, if he's not up to my standards then he's not good enough for my little princess._ He thought to himself.

**Awe poor Shigure. Poor Mimi too. Raven is very cruel. Please read and review? Thank you to all that have. I love all of my fans :)**


	20. Chapter 20

Shigure stood in his and Nightingale's room staring inside the closet. _What should I wear tonight?_ He thought nervously. _I don't want to wear a sull suit. I'd come off as too much. But I have to look nice. I want to impress Mr. Green. I can't have him thinking that I'm a bum. Oh this red shirt would be good, but wait red is an angry color. I fI wear green he'll think I get jealous easy..._

A knock sounded the door, interuppting his thoughts. "Come in." He called.

Tohru walked in the room. "Dinner's almost ready. I was wondering if there was anything you needed me to do. I know that this is a big night for you."

"You are so thoughtful and yes, I could use your help." Shigure replied.

"What do you need help with?" Tohru asked, eager to help out, as always.

"I don't know what to wear." He answered. "Could you help me pick something out?"

"Of course!" Tohru answered. She walked over to his closet. She rummaged through and soon pulled out an outfit. "How about this? Black slacks and a sky blue dress shirt?"

"Do you think I should wear a tie?" He asked.

Tohru thought for a moment. "No, I think a tie would be too much."

"Okay, thank you so much. You just saved my life." Shigure said, his nerves on edge.

Tohru just laughed. "I'm sure you'll do fine tonight. Mr. Green is going to love you."

Shigure smiled. "Thank you. I needed that."

"No, problem." Tohru said and headed out of the room and down the stairs to the kitchen.

Shigure sighed and got dressed. He combed his hair back and headed down stirs. _Maybe I should have cut my hair. I guess it's too late. Having it combed back is the best I can do._ He thought as he stepped of the last stair step.

Nightingale stood out on the front porch with her sister and father. "Now, Daddy remember to be nice. Shigure is the love of my life and the father of your grandchild." She told him.

"I know, and I'm not too happy about that last part. I wanted you to be married before you got pregnant." Robert Green told his daughter.

"Yes and you also wanted me to be a doctor, but that didn't come out the way you wanted it either." Nightingale told her father.

Robert said nothing and just followed his daughters in the house. They took off their shoes and then headed into the house. Nightingale found Shigure waiting to greet them. She smiled and walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

Shigure smiled back at his love and placed a loving kiss on her forehead. Then he looked towards the door to see Mimi come in follwed by Mr. Green. Shigure took in the appearance of his future father-in-law. He was probably a foot taller than Shigure with rather large muscles. His hair was the same color as Mimi's with a few streaks of gray. His eyes were the same shade of green as Nightingale's and they were borring into Shigure's eyes right to his soul, searching to see if he was worthy enough for Nightingale.

"Daddy, this is Shigure. Shigure this is my father, Robert Green." Nightingale said, her voice cheerful.

Shigure held out his right hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Sir."

Robert took Shigure's hand. "Nice to meet you, too."

They all headed to the dining room to find Tohru setting the table and Yuki and Kyou setting down. "You have a full house." Robert commented.

Shigure laughed. "Indeed we do. Please allow me to introduce you to my cousins Yuki and Kyou and the lovely young lady is Tohru Honda. This is Nightingale and Mimi's father, Mr. Green."

Tohru bowed politely. "It's very nice to meet you."

The two boys nodded and mumbled a polite greeting. Then everyone sat down to enjoy the meal. "This food is delicious." Robert commented.

Tohru smiled. "Thank you. I'm so happy that you like it."

"You cooked this?" He asked.

"Yes. I cook and clean around here." She answered.

Robert looked confused. "So, you're the house keeper?"

"Yes." Tohru answered with a smile.

"Well, that's how it started out, but she's really part of the family now." Shigure said.

"How did you come to stay here, Miss Tohru?" Robert asked, curious.

"Well, both of my parents passed away and I was living with my grandfather, but he had to have the house remodeled because my aunt and her family were coming to live there too. So, I bought a tent and lived on my own in the woods for a while. Then Shigure and Yuki found me and took me in." She replied. _I hope that helps Shigure._ She thought to herself.

_Wow, he let an orphaned girl move into his home. I must say that I am impressed, but I'm still not sure about him yet._ Robert thought to himself.

Soon dinner was finished. The group headed to the living room to set down and talk. After a short time, Robert asked shigure if there was some place that they could talk in private. Shigure smiled nervously and led him back to his study.

When Shigure and her father were gone, Nightingale pulled Tohru into a hug. "Bless you child." She said.

"For what?" Tohru asked.

"For telling my father your story. I'm sure ut helped to soften him up."

Tohru smiled. "I thought it couldn't hurt to tell it. I hope it helped."

Shigure walked over and pulled out a pillow for Nightingale's father to set on. Then he sat down on his. "So, what did you want to talk about Mr. Green?" Shigure asked.

"You seem to be a nice young man." Robert Green began. "And whether I approve of you or not, I know my daughter will marry you anyway. That also doesn't change the fact that you are the father of my grandchild. So, I will go ahead and give you my blessing."

"Thank you, sir." Shigure said, a little shocked.

"But I want you to know one thing."

"W-what's that?" Shigure asked, suddenly nervous again.

"If you hurt my daughter in any way, there is nothing that you can do to get away with it. There will be no use to run or hide, because I will hunt you down and kill you like the dog that you are. So, don't hurt my little girl, don't make her cry, and always take good care of her."

"I would never dream of hurting Nightingale." Shigure said, finding his voice and his courage. "She is the light of my life. If she ever cries, it will be from happiness. I could never hurt her in any way. I love her more than anything. I worship the ground she walks on. I will always take care of her and our child. They are my world and if I had to I would die for them."

Robert Green smiled. "You have passed my test, boy."

"Test?"

"First of all, you stood up to me. Second, you mentioned the baby. I hadn' said anything about the baby. I can't stand a man not wanting to take care of his child. And finally, you said you would die for them. That's the way it should be." Robert answered.

They then walked out of the room and back to the group. Robert looked at his eldest daughter. "You have a fine young man here and my blessing." He patted Shigure on the back. "Now, I'm going back to the hotel."

"I'll drive you, Daddy." Nightingale said.

"No, no Princess. You need to stay here and rest. I'll walk. Besides it's a lovely night." Then he gave each of his daughters a kiss on the forehead and headed out.

Nightingale looked up at Shigure. "What happened in there?" She asked.

"What do you mean, love?"

"With you and my father. He didn't even approve of my friends that fast in high school."

"We just had a man to man discussion." Shigure answered.

"He threatened you within an inch of your life didn't he?"

"Yes, but I made it clear to him that I would always love and take care of you and our child."

Nightingale smiled. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

While the teens cleaned up the mess left by the dinner, Shigure and Nightingale headed upstairs to bed. Nightingale slipped out of her clothes and into an orange silk and lace nightie. Shigure stripped down to his boxers and the two climbed in bed.

Nightingale snuggled up to him. She kissed his cheek. "Good night. I love you, Shigure."

"Sweet dreams. I love you, Nightingale." He said and then softly kissed her lips and pulled her close.

They soon fell asleep in each other's arms, dreaming of their wedding day and their bright and happy future together.


	21. Chapter 21

Nightingale awoke the next morning, a calm relaxed feeling flooding her body. She rolled over and found Shigure wide awake, a smile on his lips. "Good morning, my love." he greeted her and pulled her in for a kiss.

Nightingale grinned up at him. "Good morning. How long have you been awake?"

Shigure thought for a moment. "Not long, about forty-five minutes."

"And you've been in bed the whole time?"

"Of course, I like watching you sleep. You look so peaceful and relaxed, like all the tension just leaves your body. That and you are extremely beautiful." He answered and kissed her forehead.

Nightingale smiled and snuggled close to Shigure. "So what time is it?" she asked.

"Ten." Shigure answered.

Nightingale suddenly jumped out of Shigure's arms and the bed. "I'm so late!"

"Late for what?" He asked.

"I was supposed to be Ayame's shop an hour ago for a fitting and so Dad can see my dress!" She answered as she opened a drawer frantically searching for clothes.

Shigure got up and came behind her. He gently grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him. "Calm down. Take your time to get ready. I'll call Aya and your father and let them know what's going on. I'm sure your father doesn't want you stressing out and Aya will understand. I'll take care of evrything."

Nightingale looked up at him and smiled. "Okay."

Shigure grinned and kissed her forehead. Then he grabbed his robe and headed down the stairs. He picked up the phone and dialed Aya's number.

"Hello!" came Aya's cheerful voice.

"Hello Aya." Shigure sang into the phone.

"Oh, Shigure! Is something wrong? Nightingale was supposed to be here in an hour ago."

"Oh, nothing is wrong. She just over-slept. She'll be there as soon as she's ready."

"Oh, I am so glad to hear it. I was getting worried. I have to go. Bye Gure!"

"Bye, Aya." With taht Shigure hung up the phone only to pick it back up again. He now had to call Nightingale's father.

He dialed the number and soon heard Mr. Green's deep voice. "Hello."

"Hello, Mr. Green, it's Shigure."

"Is Nightingale alright?"

"She's fine. She just slept in a little late and I was just letting you know since you were supposed to see her dress today. She'll be there soon."

"Okay, thank you."

With that the conversation was over and Shigure hung up the phone. He turned around to see Nightingale coming down the stairs. She was wearing an orange dress and crying. "What's wrong?" Shigure asked rushing over to her and pulling her into his arms.

"This is the only thing I could find that fits and it was too big last year." She answered.

Shigure did his best to hold his laughter in. "It's alright. It's natural. Besides, this dress looks lovely on you."

She pulled back and looked up at him. "You really think so?"

"Of course. Now, why don't you get something to eat. Tohru made pancakes."

"Okay." Nightingale said and then headed to the dining room. Tohru served her the pancakes. "Thank you Tohru."

"You're welcome...Nightingale." Tohru said, using her first name.

Nightingale smiled at the young girl. Then she began eating the pancakes. "These are delicious." When she finished she looked around the room. "Where's Mimi? She's supposed to be coming today."

"She's still asleep." Tohru answered.

Worry creased Nightingale's forehead.

"Is something wrong?" Tohru asked.

"Mimi only sleeps late like this when something is bothering her." Nightingale said. "I had better go and see what's wrong." She then got up and headed up to her sister. She opened the door and found Mimi lying wide awake in the bed. Nightingale walked over and sat down on the bed. "What's wrong?"

Mimi looked up startled. She quickly slaped a smile on her face. "Nothing."

"I've known you all seventeen years of your life. I know when you're lying and when you're upset about something. Now tell me what's wrong."

Mimi sat up. "I...I went to see Raven yesterday." Then she told Nightingale what Raven had said. "Could she have been right? Were we such aweful children, that our mother couldn't stand us?"

"No, she left because she does love us." Nightingale replied.

Mimi looked up at Nightingale. "What do you mean?"

"She knew her own selfishness and knew that she couldn't be a good mother. So she left. Leaving us is the one unselfish thing she has ever done. It proves how much she really does love us."

Mimi looked up at her older sister. She sat up and hugged Nightingale. "Thank you, Sis."

Nightingale wrapped her arms around her sister. "I love you." Nightingale simpply told her sister.

"I love you, too." _I don't really feel so sad anymore...about Mom. Not when I have an awesome big sister, who has stepped in...and filled the role of my mother._ Mimi thought.

Shigure stood in the doorway and watched silently. He smiled. _She's going to be such a wonderful mother._ He thought. Then he headed back downstairs. He looked in the living room to see Kyou and Tohru cuddled up on the couch, asleep. _This family is headed for a bright future. A wonderful and happy future._


	22. Chapter 22

After a while, Nightingale and Mimi came down the stairs. Mimi ate something and then the two headed to pick up their father. They drove to the hotel, but walked from their to Aya's shop.

"Awe! There is our blushing bride!" came the very excited voice of Ayame. He rushed over and pulled Nightingale into a hug.

Nightingale laughed and hugged him back. Once they broke apart, Nightingale went into introductions. "Ayame, this is my father, Robert Green. Daddy, this is Ayame Sohma. He's one of Shigure's cousins and best friends."

"Nice to meet you." Robert Green said, and bowed politely.

Aya, being as melodramatic as ever, pulled Robert Green in for a hug. "Oh, it's so wonderful to meet the man who helped give life to these wonderful young ladies, who have brought so much happiness into our lives!"

"Ah." Mimi said, knowing her father was uncomfortable.

"Oh, I'm sure you want to see your beautiful daughter in her beautiful wedding dress!" Aya said pulling back.

"I'll help you get changed." came the sweet yet excited voice of Mine. She took Nightingale's hand and led her to the beack to change.

"Mine is so excited. Well, now come this way you two." Aya said as he led them back to the couches.

Nightingale and Mine were in the changing area. Nightingale had just slipped out of her orange dress and Mine was helping her into her wedding dress. They got it on and then Mine went to zip up the back. "Uh-oh." Mine said.

"What is it?" Nightingale asked.

"It doesn't zip up all the way." Mine answered.

Nightingale's eyes got wide. "What are going to do?"

"Don't worry. I can fix it." Mine said and then grabbed her sewing kit.

"They've been back there for a while." Robert commented. "Should we be getting worried?"

"I'm sure they're fine, Robert." Aya said. "Mine tends to get carried away sometimes."

"Yea, Daddy, they're fine. Besides if something were wrong, I'm sure Mine would say something to us." Mimi said, trying to calm her father's nerves. She could tell he was uncomfortable in the shop. _But he's here to support Nightingale._

After a while longer, Mine finally stepped out from behind the curtain. "Here comes the bride." Mine announced.

Nightingale stepped out from behind the curtain. "What do you think?"

"So pretty." Mimi said, her voice filled with joy.

"Stunning." Aya said, simply and dramatically.

"You look beautiful princess." Robert told his daughter. He walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.

While Nightingale and Mine were in the changing room, Nightingale asked Mine, "Do you think that you and Ayame could make some new clothes for me? This is the only dress I could find that fit."

"Of course we can!" Mine answered.

Mine heled Nightingale change back into her regular clothes and then took her measurements again. They then walked back out. Nightingale and Mimi hugged Mine and Aya and then headed out. The three of them went to lunch. They spent the whole afternoon together. It had been a while since they had a father-daughters day together.

While they were getting ready to see a movie, Robert's phone rang. He looked at the number. "Hello." He answered.

"We just arrived at the airport. We are calling a cab. It's the Golden Dragon Hotel, right?" came the other voice.

"Yea."

"Okay, we'll be there in about thirty minutes."

"Okay." Robert then hung up the phone. He then turned to his daughters. "I have to go."

Nightingale looked up at her father. "But we were just about to see a movie."

"I know, but there's something I have to take care of."

"What is it?" Mimi asked.

"It's a surprise for the both of you." Robert told his daughters, a smile on his face. He then kissed each of their foreheads and headed back for the hotel.

Mimi and Nightingale decided to go ahead and go home. They no longer wanted to see the movie.

"Awe, there is my beautiful bride-to-be." Shigure sang when Nightingale arrived home. He pulled her into his arms and gently kissed her lips. Then he looked at Mimi. "Did you two have a fun day with your father?"

"Yup." They answered in unison.

"We were about to see a movie and he got a phone call and said he had to leave." Mimi said.

"He said he had a surprise for us." Nightingale added. "I'm just not sure what it could be."

**A/N: Sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've just been reading the manga! I have to say that it is amazing and there were several points where I cried, especially at the end! So I may end up adding stuff in my fics from the manga or I may end up making new fics based off the manga (after of coiurse I finish up this series). Please read and review :)**


	23. Chapter 23

Shigure and Nightingale were setting on the couch, snuggled up and discussing plans for the wedding and the room for the baby, as well as their life together. Tohru and Mimi were upstairs in their room talking and playing card games. Kyou was at Shishou's and Yuki was out with Suki.

"I don't want the traditional blue for a boy and pink for a girl." Nightingale said, speaking of the baby's room.

"Then what do you want?" Shigure asked.

"Well, if it's a girl I want a pastel purple and a very light yellow." Nightingale answered. "And if it's a boy, I want a foresty green."

"I like those ideas." Shigure replied and kissed Nightingale's cheek.

Before Nightingale could say anything else, there was a knock at the door. Nightingale got up to answer it. She opened the door and saw her father and two other young men standing in the door way. A smile spread across her face as she realized who they were. She ran to them with her arms wide open. They pulled her into their arms and hugged her.

Shigure walked by and looked out. "Uhm, hello again Mr. Green."

"Hello, Shigure." Robert, greeted with a smile.

Nightingale pulled away from the young men and took their hands. Then she led them inside, pushing her father in as well. "Shigure, these are my older brothers, Matt and John. Guys, this is my fiancee, Shigure."

Shigure reachhed out his hand and shook both of her brothers' hands. "Glad to meet you both."

"Glad to finally meet you." Matt said.

"Yeah, Nightingale's been keeping you hidden all this time." John said.

Mimi and Tohru came down the stairs just then. Once Mimi saw her brothers she took off running down the steps and into their arms. "I'm so glad you guys are here!"

They all walked into the living room and sat down. Nightingale and Mimi's family visited for quite some time. They talked and laughed. Nightingale was so happy to have her dad and brothers close by. After a while the visit had to end.

Nightingale and Shigure got ready for bed and then snuggled up together. "Your brothers seem quite a bit older than you. Your mother must have stuck around for quote a while."

"Actually, they are only my half brothers." Nightingale replied.

"By your mother or your father?"

"By Daddy. He was married before. She died." Nightingale answered simply. "It was cancer."

"That's terrible." Shigure said and pulled Nightingale in for a hug.

"It is. She was a wonderful woman."

After a short time, Nightingale fell asleep in Shigure's arms. He watched her sleeping form, a soft smile was on her face. She mumbled his name a few times in her sleep and then snuggled closer. It wasn't much longer before Shigure joined her in the peaceful sleep.

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been having issues with writer's block. I hope you all enjoy this chapter even though it is quite short (sorry about that too). Please read and review**


	24. Chapter 24

It was the day before the wedding. Shigure, Aya, Hatori, Yuki, Kyou, and the Green men all stayed at Shigure's house. Aya had insisted that the women take his house and shop for the evening.

Shigure and the older men sat around the dining table, the teenagers sound asleep. They each held a glass of wine. Aya supplied most of the conversation. "Gure, you are going to be moved to tears when you see your bride!" Aya beamed. "The dress I created for her is just so beautiful!"

"Didn't Nightingale help you design the dress?" Hatori pointed out.

"Details Hari, details." Aya said in a dismissive tone, waving his hand in the air as if erasing the comment.

Shigure smiled as he sipped at his wine. He placed his glass down on the table and looked at Aya. "I'm sure the dress is stunning, but I must say in this case that Nightingale is what will make it the most sensational dress you have ever created."

Aya's face became one of mock indignation. "Well, I never!" Aya said, his tone playfully outraged. "My dresses are the star, the wearer of the dress the accessory!"

Hatori rolled his eyes. Sometimes Aya was just too much.

"I'd have to agree with Shigure in this case." Robert Green said, breaking th silence he'd been keeping all evening. "My daughter makes the dress."

"Why of course!" Aya said, his face suddenly becoming bright. "I must say that creating a dress for your daughter has been a an honor. She is very beautiful. If she weren't already taken, I might have to go after her myself." Aya then gave Shigure a wink.

There was much laughter and jesting at the table. Then slowly one by one they went to bed, until Shigure was the only one left awake. He sat with his empty wine glass and stared out the open door and into the night sky.

As he gazed at the stars, Shigure noticed two that twinkled and reminded him of the twinkle in Nightingale's eyes. A smile spread across his face as his mind drifted to his love.

Nightingale sat with Jin and Mine on the plush couches of the shop. Mimi and Tohru had already gone to bed. "Just think Nightingale, in less than twenty-four hours you will be married." Mine squealed.

"You'll be Misses Shigure Sohma." Jin said with a grin.

Nightingale's cheeks turned slightly pink and a smile lit up her face. "I can't believe it. I always pictured it, but until I came here, I never thought he felt the same way."

"It is a wonderful love story." Mine replied with a smile. "It seems that there are so many in this family and there used to be none."

Jin looked puzzled. She still knew nothing of the broken curse. "Why is that?"

Mine realized what she had said. "The Sohma family just used to be unlucky in love." She answered.

"Oh, that explains quite a bit." Jin replied.

Nightingale nodded. "Well, let's not dwell on the past and look to the future instead!" She leaned to the table and lifted her cup of tea. "A toast to a happily ever after for all!"

Mine and JIn lifted their cups as well. Then they all clinked their cups together and then sipped. Soon they each went to bed. Nightingale sat up in her bed and looked put the window. She smiled as she stared up at the stars.

Mimi walked in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "What are you thinking about?" She asked.

"I was just thinking about the time between college graduation and when I came here." She answered.

"Do you wish you would have told Shigure sooner?" Mimi asked.

Nightingale looked from the stars to her sister. "Sometimes, but I'm glad that things worked out the way they did. The time Shigure and I spent away from each other just made us appreciate each other more."

Mimi smiled. "That's a good way to look at it."

"I think so, too. Now we should go to sleep. I'm getting married tomorrow!"

The sisters hugged and then fell asleep quickly. Dreams of the next day filled Nightingale's head as she slept peacefully through the night, a smile on her face.

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've just been fighting with writer's block. I hope you all enjoy!**


	25. Chapter 25

Nightingale woke up the next day with a smile on her face. She stood up and then had to make a mad dash for the bathroom. A wave of morning sickness hit her like a ton of bricks. she bent over the toilet as her stomache emtied itself of its contents.

After a few minutes she sat back on the floor and held her stomache, a look of misery on her face. _This can't be happening, not today. Not my wedding day._ She thought as she closed her eyes and tried to will tyhe nausea to go away.

"Oh my goodness! are you alright?" Jin asked rushing into the bathroom.

Nightingale groaned. "Morning sickness."

Jin nodded. "I'll go and get you some crackers and ginder ale."

Nightingale nodded and kept her eyes closed.

Jin left the room and came back. She handed Nightingale the crackers and drink. Then she stood up and wet a rag. She laid it across Nightingale's forehead. "Is this helping?" Jin asked hoping that Nightingale would feel alright for the wedding.

"A little." Nightingale answered.

"Oh, are you alright Sis?" Mimi's worried voice came from the hallway.

"I'll be fine." Nightingale answered.

"She's just having a bout of morning sickness." Jin told the girl.

Mimi nodded. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Make your sister some toast." Jin answered. "I'll try and get her downstairs in a minute."

Mimi nodded and then headed downstairs. On her way down she met up with Mine and Tohru. She told them what was going on and they all headed downstairs. Mimi made the toast and Mine looked through an old recipe book passed down in her family for generations. She found a recipe her grandmother had used to help with morning sickness. Tohru helped her prepare the recipe.

After the light meal was ready, Jin and Nightingale came down the stairs. they all watched Nightingale as if she was a fragile doll that would break any minute. Nightingale looked at each of them and gave a weak smile. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

"You really need to eat." Jin told her.

Nightingale nodded and began picking at the toast and sipping at the drink Mine and Tohru had made. Twenty minutes passed and Nightingale seemed to be feeling better. "Thank you for helping me." She spoke. "It has helped."

"Do you feel well enough to get ready and head to the Sohma estate?" Jin asked.

"Yea. I think I'll be fine." Nightingale answered.

The girls changed clothes and then headed outside to a waiting limo and were driven to the Sohma estate.

Shigure awoke with a smile on his face. He got up and headed downstairs wearing a goofey grin. Hatori was in the kitchen making breakfast. Ayame was setting at the dining table.

Aya looked up at Shigure and a look of mock sadness crossed his face. "Oh, Shigure this day is the day you leave the single life behind and become permanently unavailable to me!" He said melodramatically.

"I know Aya, but I will always cherish the time we've had together." Shigure replied, just as melodramatically.

Hatori came in just then. "What is wrong with you two?" He said as he placed the food on the table.

"Awe, Hari, do you feel left out?" Shigure teased.

"You know since Shigure is leaving me officially today, I am available." Aya said, a teasing seductive tone to his voice.

Hatori just rolled his eyes. "Just leave me out of this."

"I am rejected!" Aya sighed.

"Seriously, I would have dumped these two a long time ago." came the aggitated voice of Kyou.

"I hate to, but I agree." yuki said in his usual calm tone.

"I don't know why I haven't." Hatori replied.

"Admit it Hari..." Aya began.

"Life would be boring without us!" Shigure finished.

After a while the other men in the house woke up and soon they headed out to a waiting limo and were off to the Sohma estate for the wedding.


	26. Chapter 26

Nightingale and her bridal party arrived at the Sohma estate to find it abuzz with activity. Everyone was getting ready for the wedding. Flowers and streamers were decorating the entire house. Varying shades of pinks and yellows were seen everywhere.

When the car stopped Nightingale and the others were led to their bridal suit. Nightingale looked around her. The room was huge and covered in pink and yellow tulips. "Everything looks so beautiful." Mine said looking around the room.

Nightingale smiled. "Yes it does." Just then a wave of nausea swept over Nightingale and she was once again running for the bathroom.

"I'll go see if Hari is here." Jin said and then she exited the room.

Shigure and the others arrived at the Sohma estate soon. Shigure notced the pink and yellow flowers that decorated the entire house. It looked beautiful. They walked to the Groom's suit. Then Nightingale's father and brothers were led to their own room.

A knock sounded on the door just as Shigure and his best men were starting to pull out their tuxes. Ayame went to open it up and was surprised to see Jin on the other side, not in her bridesmaid dress. "Oh, what a wonderful surprise, but why aren't you in your amazing dress, Jin?" Her greeted.

"We just got here a few moments ago. I need to see Hari." Jin answered.

"Oh, here for a little prewedding rendezvous?" Aya teased.

Hatori walked over to the door. "That's enough Ayame."He said in his usual calm manner. "What's going on?" He asked.

"Nightingale is..."

Shigure interrupted here. "Is she alright? what's wrong?" Concern colored his tone and face.

"She's fine, Shigure." Jin spoke soothingly. "She's just having a terrible bout with morning sickness today. I was just hoping that there was something Hari could do."

"I'll come over and see what I can do." Hatori said. "I'll just go and get my bag. I think I have the perfect thing."

"Maybe I should come with you." Shigure said, wanting to make sure his love was alright.

Before anyone else could say anything Aya spoke up. "No! You can't! It;s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding!"

"She will be fine, Shigure." Jin said. Then she and Hatori left the room.

Hatori grabbed his bag and a few things he thought would help. then he walked with Jin to the bridal suit. "How long has this spell of morning sickness lasted?"

"I think she woke up with it." Jin answered. "I found her in the bathroom this morning. She didn't look good. We got her to eat some crackers and toast and it helped her for a little while, but then we got here and she just started getting sick."

Hatori nodded. "I think I have something that should help." He said.

They knocked on the door of the bridal suit and then walked in.

"She's still in the bathroom." Mine said. "Mimi is in there with her trying to help."

Hatori nodded. He walked over to the bathroom door and knocked. "Nightingale?" He said in a calm voice.

He heard a groan and then the door opened, Mimi standing on the other side. she stepped aside and let Hari inside. He stepped inside and saw Nightingale setting on the floor her head against the sink, not far from the toilet. A cold wet rag laid across her face, covering her forehead, eyes, and nose.

Hatori knelt down beside her and lifted the rag. Her eyes were closed. "I have something that should help you." He told her.

Nightingale let out a groan, but nodded. Hatori opened up his bag and pulled out a natural remedy. It had helped many of the Sohma women when carrying a child. He hoped it would help Nightingale. He got a dose ready and was getting ready to hand it to her, but stopped short when she leaned back over the toilet.

After she finished he handed her a glass of water and then gave her the remedy. "Give it about twenty minutes and it should start to work." Hatori told her.

Nightingale groaned once again. "I'm running late for my own wedding."

Hatori let out a laugh. "Don't worry about it. you are the bride, the wedding can't start without you."

Nightingale smiled weakly at him. "Thank you, Hatori." she said.

He smiled at her. "We can't have the Bride sick on her special day." He then gently ruffled her hair and headed out. He placed a kiss on Jin's cheek and headed back to the Groom's suit.

"How is my bride?" Shigure asked, when Hari came in the room.

"She'll be fine. Just a little morning sickness." Hatori said. "Your wedding will be starting a little late."

Shigure nodded. "Just as long as my bride feels better."

The men went ahead and put on their tuxes. Then they sat in their suit waiting for word of when the bride was ready.

The twenty minutes passed and Nightingale felt much better, the morning sickness now gone. She stood up and brushed her teeth and used the mouthwash. When she was satisfied with her breath she finally walked out of the bathroom.

"How are you feeling?" Mimi asked, already wearing her knee length pink dress.

"I'm feeling much better." Nightingale replied putting on a smile.

"Alright. Are you ready to get all dolled up for your wedding day?" Mimi asked.

Nightingale beamed. "Yes. I am ready!"

The girls all giggled and then began to help Nightingale get ready. Her hair and makeup were completed and soon they were helping her slip into her dress. Luckily the dress zipped up with no problems. Nightingale was ready for her wedding.


	27. Chapter 27

A knock sounded on the door of th bridal suit. "Come in." Nightingale called cheerfully, feeling fully recovered.

Robert Green walked in the room and saw his eldest daughter in her wedding dress. "You look beautiful." He said. "I can't believe that this day is here. My princess is getting married."

Nightingale smiled up at her father. She could see his eyes glistening with unshed tears. She stood up from her chair and walked over to her father and hugged him. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

After a few minutes, the bridal party was ready and left the suit. They stood at the end of the asile and waited for the music to start. The music started and Mimi was the first to walk out. she took her place. Jin and Mine followed her out and took their places.

The beat of the music changed and the sheer curtains lifted and Nightingale stepped out on her father's arm. she looked up at the alter and saw Shigure standing up there waiting for her. _He looks so handsome in a tux._ She thought a smile on her face.

Shigure stood at the alter waiting for his bride to make her grand entrance. He watched as her bridesmaids made their way down the asile. When the music changed and the curtains lifted to reval Nightingale standing on her father's arm, Shigure was literally breathless.

Nightingale stepped out in a beautful a-line gown. It had an empire waist. The sleeves came down to her elbows and were made entirely of lace. The whole gown had a lace overlay and the veil was sheer and trimmed in lace. Her hair was pulled up and loose curls framed her face.

Shigure met them at the bottom of the alter. Robert Green turned towards his daughter and hugged her. Then he placed her hand into Shigure's. "Take care of my girl." He whispered.

"I will." Shigure said as he took Nightingale's hand.

They walked up a little farther together and stood before the minister. The ceremoney began. When it came to the vows the minister said, "Shigure and Nightingale have written their own vows and would like to share them now." Then he turned to Nightingale. "Nightingale."

Nightingale smiled through her veil at her groom, tears of joy stinging her eyes. she took in a deep breath and began, " Nightingale Green Take you, Shigure Sohma as my husband. I promise you the rest of my life. I promise to share with you my joy, my tears, my laughter, and my trust. I prmoise you that our life together won't be perfect, but through it all I will love you and cherish every moment we have together. Most of all I promise my undying love and devotion to you and our family and the life we will share together."

The minister then turned to Shigure. "Shigure."

Shigure smiled at his lovely bride. Tears stung at his eyes as the words she said rang in his heart. He took in a breath and began his own vows, "I shigure Sohma take you, Nightingale Green as my wife. Today I give you the rest of my life. I will share with you every part of me..." this part elicited a snicker from Aya, "I will laugh with you and cry with you. Most of all I promise my unending love, devotion, and protection to you and our family. I will love you and our family and cherish every moment of the life we share together."

"The rings please." The minister said, turning to the maid of honor and the best man.

Mimi handed the ring to the minister without delay, but of course Aya had to pretend that he had lost the ring. after searching through his pockets he pulled the ring out and handed it to the minister.

The minister handed the ring to Nightingale. She placed the ring on shigure's finger. Then He handed shigure the other ring and he placed it on Nightingale's finger. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Shigure grinned as he lifted Nightingale's veil. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips. When they broke the kiss they stood there for a few moments, their foreheads close together. They gazed into each others' eyes and it was as if all the love and joy in the world surrounded them and lifted them up. Mister and Misses Shigure Sohma stood before their closest family and friends ready to spend the rest of their lives together.

Mary stood in the back of the small chapel located on the Sohma estate. She made sure to stay out of sight. She watche as her eldest daughter got married. She shed silent tears as she heard beautiful words spoken by and to her daughter. _Thank you God, for letting her find happiness and her turning out so well._ Mary sent up the silent prayer. _I think I did the right thing for them in staying out of their lives. I miss them, but it turned out for the best._ When the ceremoney was completed Mary slipped out of the Sohma estate the tears falling down her face. _I love you, my sweet daughters._ She thought as she drove away.

**A/N: This is where I am going to end this Fanfic. I will continue their story later. I am thinking of getting back to Kyou and Tohru. I hope you all enjoyed this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please read and review. I would love to know what you think.**


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